Our Ever After
by JAGWriter09
Summary: *SEQUEL TO BEYOND THE LENS, I HEAR HER VOICE* The journey to a happily ever after, written as one-shots throughout their lives.
1. A New Year

**I'm back! So, the sequel is going to be written in more of a one-shot style with each chapter showing a different stage of their lives. It will also have some flashback chapters. The point of view will change with each chapter as well. Hope you guys enjoy the first part! Don't forget to follow, favorite and review! :P**

**A New Year **

_January 2024 - Santana POV_

Soft lips against my neck stir me from my deep slumber. My dreams are filled with a certain blonde as I'm pulled back to the real world, the reality of the lips on my neck coming back to me.

Brittany.

I still can't believe last night was real, like actual real life.

_Hours before midnight…_

"_Fancy party, S," Quinn teases me._

"_Shut up, Q. You know you love this more than I do." Quinn always comes to my annual New Year's Party I host on behalf of the label. I'm so lucky to have supportive friends like her. Normally, Sugar would be here as well, but they leave for their honeymoon tomorrow morning and decided to stay in. _

"_How you doin'?" She asks me, concern evident in her voice._

"_I'm fine," I sigh. I don't want to get into this again. Not tonight. The night of Sugar's wedding, Quinn found me crying my eyes out in the bathroom. Being the best friend that she is, she didn't question anything, and just held me as I broke down, and helped me fix my makeup so I can try and enjoy what was left of the night._

_I don't leave my apartment for days after, trying my best to escape the outside world, ignoring calls and texts from Quinn and Sugar. But life must go on. I put on my professional face and show up to work. I can't let this ruin everything I've worked so hard to build. And so, I do what I do best, immerse myself in my work. _

_I give in to Quinn's insistent need to talk and comfort me, even allowing her into my apartment. She lets me talk, cry, scream, all of it. _

"_Are you sure?" She asks me again._

"_Yes. Just want to get through tonight, get this New Year started. Clean slate," I tell her._

"_Have you heard from her?" She asks hesitantly. _

_I nod, "She sent me a text Christmas morning, but I didn't respond. I told you, Q. It can't happen, I can't sit around waiting for her," I say and walk away. I wish I could be home, tucked on the couch with a pint of Ben & Jerry's next to the fireplace. But no, instead I'm at my companies New Year's bash, one that I normally enjoy. Not this year._

_I just don't have the patience this year. As the time for midnight gets closer and closer, I realize another year is gone, another year spent alone. Normally, it doesn't bother me. Normally, I don't buy into the cliché idea of having a special midnight kiss, but this year feels different. _

"_Hey, Q? I think I' m gonna sneak out of here. I'm not feeling too good," I tell her. It's not a complete lie, sure, physically I feel fine, but emotionally, well, that's a different story. _

"_Now? But it's so close to midnight! And it's kinda your party, you can't just leave?"_

"_I can. No one will be looking for me. There's a shit ton of people. I've made my rounds twice, plus everyone has a sufficient amount of alcohol in their systems by now," I tell her. "I know you're worried about me, but I just really want to go home. Enjoy your night with your husband. Don't worry about me," I say and give her a hug. I feel her sigh against me and nod in understanding._

"_Call me tomorrow," she says, and I make my way out of the building. Crap, it's going to be a bitch trying to get home. _

"Mmm," I hum in my sleepy state as her lips continue their soft assault on my neck, a light giggle escaping her.

"Wake up, sleepy head," I feel her hot breath against my ear as she whispers and will my eyes to open, to see the beauty that I know is so close to my face, still not fully able to believe that this is my reality. "There she is," she says lovingly before closing the small gap and enveloping my lips in hers for a sweet morning kiss.

"Morning," I say, my voice raspier than usual. "How'd you sleep?"

"Amazing," she simply states. One word, but the blissful look on her face says so much more and damn, she is the most gorgeous woman ever. Even in the morning, I swear I've never seen anything more beautiful than the woman in my arms. "You?" She asks as she leaves a gentle kiss against my jawline.

"Best sleep I've had in a long time," I tell her with the same amount of love that's exuding from her. I take in all the features of her face, her soft freckles that expand across her cheeks, the slight crinkle by her eyes that appears when she smiles, the kind of smile that she is displaying at this very moment, the kind of smile that makes my breath hitch.

"I love you, Santana," she says so honestly, so openly and it still takes my breath away. Three simple words. Three words I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing. Three words that makes me tuck my head in to her neck to try and hide the blush that takes over my cheeks.

She kisses the top of my head, her arms wrapping protectively around my small frame as I let out a small sigh, "We're really doing this, Britt?" I ask so quietly, I don't think she even heard me. But she does as she nudges my head so that I am again looking deep into her eyes, those piercing blue eyes that settles all my fears and doubts. The fear of this being a dream that I'll be woken up from, the fear of the one person I've ever loved, leaving.

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere. I meant everything I said last night. I'm in this, Santana. You have all of me." Her words are strong and assuring but I can't help but still feel scared. But I need to trust in her, in us, in our commitment to making this work. "How about we get some breakfast, I can make us something and then we can talk more."

Brittany delivers on all promises, and makes us a delicious breakfast, complete with the works; bacon, pancakes and eggs. We both eat our food in a comfortable silence, stealing glances at each other throughout.

"Thanks for breakfast, Britt. It was amazing," I tell her, still in awe that this woman who I've loved most of my adult life, is actually here, sitting in my kitchen, making me breakfast.

"You're welcome! I'm not the best in the kitchen, but I try," she says, a genuine smile plastered on her face as she moves toward me and leans against the counter, wrapping her arms around my waist as I take my spot between her legs. "You ready for tonight?"

My heart flutters at the mention of our plans and I don't even try to resist the urge to kiss her, as I lean in and connect our lips softly. "Mm," I hum against her. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this."

_After midnight…_

_I can't believe she's here, Brittany is here, and this whole thing feels like a cheesy moment out of a movie, with the fireworks and midnight kiss, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. We are still standing outside my door, not bothering to move or speak as we switch between kissing and looking lovingly into each other's eyes. "Britt," I say softly. "Should we go inside?" _

"_Oh yeah, forgot where we were for a second, honestly," she giggles so cutely. God, I am so in love with her. _

_I reluctantly pull out of her grasp and unlock my door. Suddenly, it's like the realization of the situation hits me. What happens next? Yeah, we both know how we feel, but does that make us girlfriends? Are we rushing into things? Maybe I'm just overthinking this, wouldn't be the first time. _

"_I like your place, San," she says as she moves around my apartment. _

"_Thanks," I reply as I stay glued in my spot awkwardly. She must notice if the furrow in her forehead is any indication._

"_Hey, come here," she says softly and pats to the spot next to her on my couch. I shuffle myself toward her and take a seat. "What's wrong?" She asks as she takes my hand in hers, my eyes glued on the way our hands look clasped together, admiring the softness of her skin against mine, and the way my body relaxes at the simplest touch._

"_I'm just in my own head, sorry," I mumble._

_Her other hand comes up to cup my cheek as she wills my face up so that I'm looking into her eyes. "Hey, you have nothing to be sorry about. I know this is a lot of stuff happening at once, trust me, I feel it too. It's overwhelming. But we don't have to worry about any of that tonight. I want to just enjoy this night, enjoy the New Year with you, now that I finally have you in my life again. Can we do that? All the other shit we'll deal with tomorrow." _

"_Yeah, okay. I can do that," I tell her._

"_Good. We've both had a crazy day. How about we get some sleep," she suggests and now that the adrenaline has worn off from the craziness of the past few hours, I feel exhaustion take over me. _

"_That's a great idea," I tell her as I stand up from my spot on the couch and guide her toward my room. I hand her a shirt and some sweats to change in to and after we are both changed we get into my bed. It's strange that after all these years, sharing a bed with her isn't weird. We shuffle toward the middle facing each other, a look of contentment on both our faces. I lean in and connect our lips freely, not able to believe that I can do that now, whenever I want, for hopefully the rest of my life. The kiss heats up as I push my tongue past her slightly parted lips and start to massage it against hers. My hands move around her waist, pulling her body close, fuck I miss this. I slip my hand under the shirt that has slightly risen from our movements and finally feel the skin on her backside against my fingertips and I swear, the simple touch makes my whole body heat up. _

"_San," Brittany mumbles against my lips and I hum in response, continuing my path up and down her spine as I move my kisses against her jawline. "San," she says a little more firm. _

"_Yeah?" I ask in a daze as I reluctantly pull away from her just enough to look into those piercing blue eyes I love so much. _

"_We should slow down." My heart starts beating, but not in the same way that it was a second ago from arousal. This is panic. I'm panicking. Why doesn't she want to have sex with me? I thought after everything she said earlier- "Baby, look at me." The sudden term of endearment stops me from freaking out and my eyes look back into hers. "You're freaking out. Trust me, I want to do _that_ with you, but I want to do this right. I know we kind of already skipped a few steps with the whole 'I love you's'. I want to take you on a proper date," she says and I feel myself start to calm. "So, will you go on a date with me, Santana Lopez? Preferably tomorrow night. I don't think I can wait that long to be with you," she says and I melt at her cuteness. _

"_Yes. I'll go on a date with you," I tell her. "God, I love you, Brittany Pierce." _

"_I love you, too," she says before kissing me. We continue to kiss until our eyes become heavy as we slowly drift off to sleep tangled in each other's arms, just like I always dreamed. _

Brittany insists on going to Sugar's house to get ready since she still has a spare key, so that she can pick me up from my place like a proper date. I don't even try to argue with her as she kisses me goodbye and tells me to be ready by 8 o'clock. I take a look at myself in the mirror, happy with my outfit choice before touching up my makeup one last time when the doorbell rings. My heart flutters as I approach the door but nothing could have prepared me for the sight in front of me when I finally open it. I unabashadley take in the woman in front of me, everything from the way her black jeans hug her perfect curves, to the way her soft curls fall framing her face. She is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen and I almost feel the need to pinch myself to believe this is real life, that she is all mine.

"You look beautiful, San," she tells me, softness and love oozing from her.

"So do you, Britt. Absolutely beautiful," I say breathlessly.

She reaches her hand out to me, which I take willingly. "Ready for the best date ever?"

"More than you know."

She keeps our fingers intertwined the entire time as we take the elevator down to the lobby and out the front door, her thumb lightly rubbing against my knuckles every now and then. When we reach the curb outside my building, I wait for her to guide us.

"So, I have something planned before dinner, think you can wait a little to eat?" She asks me.

"Yeah. I can wait," I give her a smile.

We brave the cold, thankful that it's not snowing, as we make our way to Central Park. "I thought it would be romantic to take a ride around Central Park in a horse carriage." My heart swells at the thought of that. I've never been on one of these before, always jealous of the couples who seemed so in love riding them.

She guides me into the carriage before putting her arm around me, pulling the blanket provided over our bodies to keep us warm. As the carriage starts to move, we settle in, my head resting against her shoulder.

"This is nice," I tell her.

"Yeah. It is," she whispers leaving a kiss against my forehead. "This is just the beginning." I know she means for tonight, but her words mean so much more. This is just the beginning of us, and I can't wait for the journey that awaits us.

"You never told me what happened with Josh?" I ask her. I know she said she told him she didn't want to do the show, but she was the star. We never discussed what happens next.

"I told him that I couldn't do the show. He wasn't happy at first, but I think he understood. He told me to call him once I'm settled down for a job," she says as my body stiffens in her embrace. But she said she didn't want to travel anymore and that we would be together. "I'm not leaving again, San. He told me that I can work on post-production stuff for him, here in New York." I immediately relax again. "Hey," she says and I lift my head off her shoulder. "I need you to believe me when I say I'm here for good."

"I know, and I do. It's just going to take me some time to believe this is real, that we finally have the chance to be together. I've wanted this for so long and didn't think it would ever happen for us." I take a breath before continuing, looking deep into her eyes. "Even when I would convince myself that what we had wasn't real or not as real as I thought in my head, it was always you."

"Well, it's happening, and I promise you, this is the realest thing in the entire world. We, us, it's real," she says through a smile. "Speaking of, how about you come with me tomorrow to look for an apartment? If you can sneak away from work, of course."

"I think I can make that work," I tease her. I would love nothing more than spending the day with her, doesn't even matter what we're doing. And if I can help her find an apartment then that's what I'll do.

After the carriage ride, we make our way to a restaurant where Brittany made reservations for us. The hostess shows us to our table and lets us know that our server will be right with us. As promised not even a minute later, our server is going through the specials as he opens up a bottle of red wine.

"Hope you still like red wine. I ordered it ahead of time," she says. This night just gets better and better.

"You're adorable, and yes, still love red wine. It's funny, before that summer, I don't think I ever drank as much in my life. You guys were a bad influence on me," I tease her as I grab my glass off the table.

"Nothing about that shocks me, babe," she jokes back. "You were a capital N, nerd!"

"Was not!" I protest, knowing how absolutely correct she is about that statement.

"Right, not a nerd at all," she winks. "But you're my nerd now, and I love you and all of your nerdiness."

"Cheers, Britt," I say as I raise my glass. "To us."

"To us," she says back so simply. Our dinner is delicious and even though I'm too full to even think about dessert, I agree anyways when Brittany gives me that adorable pout. She breaks off a piece of the tiramisu with her fork before leaning across the table, bringing it toward my lips.

"That's so fucking good," I moan out as I take the bite. I hear her giggle as she takes a bite herself, moaning in agreeance.

I'm watching her the entire time as she continues to chew, her head slightly tilted back and eyes closed, and I think I fall even more in love with her as each second goes by that I get to spend in her presence. "Be my girlfriend, Britt," I practically blurt out as her eyes open and a warm smile spreads across her face. _Nice, Lopez. That was totally not romantic, at all._

"I would love nothing more," she says, her soft eyes looking deep into mine. I know I have a lazy smile plastered on my face, in awe of the woman I get to call my girlfriend sitting in front of me. "Let's get out of here," she husks, her eyes turning a deep blue, and I know that look as I nod my head furiously, already feeling the heat spread through my body.

The walk back takes twice as long as it should since we can't make it more than two steps without one of us trying to sneak a kiss or an extra long touch, even amongst all the layers of clothing we are both sporting. It's only been about 24 hours since Brittany has been back, but with the official title of us being girlfriends, it's like neither one of us can keep our hands to ourselves. We finally make it to my building as we shuffle our way into the elevator, giving a quick hello to the doorman and before the door even has a chance to close, Brittany's lips are on mine.

"Britt," I try and say but it comes out muffled with her lips pressed against mine as she moves her tongue past my opening. She clearly ignores my attempt at getting her attention, her hands gripping my hips as she moves flush against my body that's pressed against the elevator wall. "Babe," I say a little clearer taking advantage of the fact that her lips are no longer on mine, but now making their way down my neck. I hear something resembling a 'yes' against my skin that I decipher as an acknowledgement of my attempts to grab her attention. She reluctantly pulls away from me so that she can look into my eyes. "We need to press the button so the elevator moves," I say with a smirk, giggling at the look on her face, her cheeks flushed and lips plumped.

"Oh. Yeah," she mumbles, a light red tint now covering her flushed cheeks as she moves to press the button for my floor. As soon as she has confirmation that the door is in fact shut, she doesn't hesitate to continue what she had started just seconds ago, latching on to my neck as she rolls her hips into my body. I can't help but groan at the way her body feels against mine.

When the elevator dings indicating we've reached our destination, we start shuffling toward my front door, our bodies never separating. I unwillingly pull away to get my keys out of my purse, but the lips that are pressing against my neck, the arm snaked around my waist, and the warm body that is pressed against my back are a huge distraction. I fumble with the lock but manage to finally get it open. We stumble in to my apartment, barely able to kick the door shut as Brittany explores my mouth. As heated as our kiss was in the elevator, somehow she has slowed it down now that we are tucked away behind closed doors, all of a sudden aware of the importance of this moment, almost like it's bigger than the both of us. As our kisses turn into gentle pecks, we pull apart as I look deep into those soulful eyes.

"I love you, Santana," she says and I just about melt at those words. My eyes still fixed on her, I raise my hands up to the collar of her coat before slowly sliding it off her body and letting it pool at our feet before taking mine off as well. My hand moves down her arm before I entangle our fingers together as I guide her past the living room and down the hall to my bedroom, my eyes never leaving hers. Once we've reached my desired destination, I move as close as I can to her, wrapping my arms around her neck, my fingers playing at the small hairs at the nape of her neck as her's wrap around my waist. I lean up just enough to connect our lips again and _god_, everytime we kiss, everything in me explodes with love.

I leave one last kiss against her swollen lips before resting my forehead against hers, feeling so safe in her arms. "I _need _you, Britt," I say breathlessly.

"You have me," she replies just as quietly. And when I look at her eyes, I feel the truth in her words.

"Make love to me," I whisper so gently against her and I hear her breath hitch as she feels my words spoken on her lips.

Her hands move to cup my face, thumbs grazing my cheek before she leans in enveloping my lips once again, her kisses so gentle, so caring. I never thought in a million years that I could feel this overwhelming feeling of love and adoration just from a kiss. This is what I've been searching for, this is what has been missing in my life, in past relationships, pure love.

She starts to leave a trail of wet kisses along my jaw moving to my neck and down to my collarbone. I hold on to her hips, feeling dizzy from the sensation and arousal. Her hands slowly start moving toward the hem of my shirt, as her fingers lightly scratch at the exposed skin on my lower back. Her eyes bore into mine as she slowly lifts the shirt, revealing my upper half to her. My shirt is thrown somewhere behind me as her hand immediately comes up to cup my bra covered breast, releasing a moan from deep within.

"You are so beautiful, San," she whispers against my skin as her kisses continue to mark my chest. As much as I'm loving her attentiveness, I'm craving the feel of her skin against mine so I don't hesitate to reach down and tug at the hem of her shirt. She gets the hint as she pulls away and lifts her arms so I can remove it off her body. I immediately wrap my hands around her back and unclasp her bra, not wanting to waste another minute, as I slowly slide the straps down her arms.

My breath hitches at the sight of her bare chest in front of me. Although it's something I've seen before, that was many years ago. Her body hasn't changed much, she still has those delicious abs that I can't wait to run my tongue over. I lean in and take her pert nipple between my lips, eliciting the most delicious moan from above. As I continue to make sure I show enough attention to her chest, I feel her fingers move from their place in my hair to the clasp on my backside, stripping me of my bra as the article of clothing joins hers on the floor. She lifts my chin up so that we are face to face, our bare chests flush against each other, her eyes filled with lust and love.

Her eyes glued to mine she starts to work on the button of my jeans before lowering them as I remove them completely. Standing there in nothing but my underwear I watch Brittany's eyes trace every inch of my body, an act that would normally make me squirm, but with her I feel safe, with her I feel loved and with her I feel beautiful. I see a warm smile spread on her face as she takes her pants off as well before guiding me to lie on the bed before taking her place between my legs, our heated centers, although covered, meeting for the first time after all these years. I can practically feel our arousal mixing together even through the thin layer covering my most sensitive area. She lowers herself further on to me and connects our lips, tracing mine with her tongue, asking for permission to enter which I willingly part.

She starts to move further down my body, making sure to pay equal attention to my breast, one hand massaging my left while her mouth devours the other. The sensation is almost too much to handle as my hips rut into her body, seeking any form of release. Once she is satisfied, she moves lower, her tongue leaving a mark all the way down my stomach before she reaches the one place I so desperately need her. She hooks her fingers into the seams before slowly lowering it the rest of the way. Her tongue starts to move up my thigh and I can't help but squirm under her touch.

"Britt," I moan breathlessly. "Please."

She crawls back so that our faces are merely inches apart. I feel her slender fingers work their way down my body as she holds my gaze before swiping a single digit through my folds, arousal coating her finger.

"Ungh," I whimper as my head rolls back against the pillow and eyes shut in pleasure.

"Baby, open your eyes," she mutters as her finger starts to make lazy circles on my sensitive center. I will my eyes to open, to see those loving blue eyes. "I love you so much," she proclaims wholeheartedly as her finger moves down toward my entrance before finally entering me, my muscles immediately enveloping her digit. She slowly starts to move inside me, keeping a steady pace before re-entering me with two fingers and, _oh god, _I feel like I'm already going to explode but I try and hold off, wanting this feeling to last forever as I struggle to keep my eyes open and focused on hers.

Her pace quickens as her thumb moves to make circles against me with every thrust, her fingers curling inside, and I swear I start to see stars as the heat coils from deep within, waiting to erupt. "_Fuck,"_ I groan.

She must feel how close I am, working even harder, picking up the pace as my toes start to curl and body starts to shake, the first sign of my impending orgasm starting to take over my body.

"That's it, babe. Come for me," she husks onto my lips as they brush against each other with each thrust. And it's enough for me to completely come undone. Fireworks, stars, explosions, you name it, I see it as I come hard against her hand, her fingers never slowing their pace, helping me ride out the most intense orgasm of my life.

Once my body has come down, she removes her fingers and I immediately whimper at the loss. She gently flips us so that she is lying on her back before wrapping her arms around me so that I am curled against her warm body, a light layer of our sweat mixing together.

"That was amazing," I say, my voice still a little shaky.

"Mm, yeah it was," she says also a little out of breath.

I lift my head just enough to leave a lingering kiss to the underside of her jawline before curling my head back under her chin. "I love you, Brittany."

"I know. I love you too, San," she says. I'm exhausted and want to move my body so that I can worship her the same way she just did to me but my limbs feel like jello as my eyelids get heavier by the second. "Let's get under the covers," she suggests as she leaves a soft kiss against my forehead. I don't have the energy to protest as she shuffles our naked bodies under the blankets. "Goodnight, San."

"G'night, Britt," I sleepily reply before finally giving in to sleep, not wanting to be anywhere else but here in my girlfriend's arms.

/

"And what was the problem with that one, San?" She asks me, her voice laced with growing frustration. It's late in the afternoon, we haven't eaten anything since this morning, and we've been walking around the city trying to find an apartment for Brittany.

"Did you see the guy who walked into the building behind us? You're not living there," I tell her.

"Santana," she says pointedly. The use of my full name catches my attention as I whip my head to her.

"Yes?" I ask tentatively, trying to give her my most innocent pout.

She walks over to me taking my hands in hers. "I'm hungry, I'm tired, it's cold. Can you please stop being so picky on where I live? Honestly, most of them were nowhere near as bad as you made them out to be."

I sigh as I rest my forehead against hers, taking in her warmth. She's right, I don't know why I'm being picky, it's not even my apartment. I mean, it's my girlfriend's apartment, meaning I'll be spending a lot of time there, but I don't think that's why I'm being the way I am. "You're right. I'm sorry. The first one wasn't too bad and it was the closest to my place, want to give them a call?"

"Yeah. I liked that one too. I'll call after we get some food in our stomachs," she tells me leaving a kiss on my cheek. "Come on, your pick tonight."

After we pick up food from my favorite Chinese spot on my block, we settle on the couch passing containers back and forth. Brittany calls the landlord as I clean up before finding my place again on the couch cuddled into her.

"What he say?" I ask still uneasy about the apartment she picked. There wasn't anything blatantly wrong with it, I mean, sure, the counters could be redone, but generally it was a really nice place, and like I mentioned, it was close to mine.

"He told me to bring the security deposit to him sometime tomorrow and that it will be ready for me to move-in by this weekend," she mentions while massaging her fingers through my hair. I know it's sort of crazy, since she's only been here for a couple of days, but the thought of going to bed alone night after night makes me sad. I'm sure there will be nights where we stay at either of our places but it's not the same. Like tomorrow for instance, since she can't move in for a couple of days, she'll be here when I get home from work. That thought alone gives me butterflies and knowing that that is not permanent makes me crave it even more.

Call me crazy but- "Stay here," I blurt.

"Huh?" She mutters, halting her movement on my scalp.

"Fuck, that's not how I wanted this to go," I quickly say trying to redeem myself. I already blurted out for her to be my girlfriend, it's like I can't get any of this romantic shit right. "Britt," I start as I sit up from my position tucking my legs under me and turning to face her. "Don't move into that apartment. Don't move into _any _apartment. The reason I was being so particular was because I don't want you to go. Falling asleep in your arms and waking up the same way these last couple nights has been the most amazing thing ever. I want that every night for the rest of my life." She doesn't say anything as she just stares at me, her face blank of any expression and it makes me feel a little uneasy that I can't read what she's thinking. "Move-in with me, Britt. I'm serious. You can get this apartment and live there for a few months, but that's not going to change the fact that I'm going to think about asking you every day."

Again nothing and although I think I've matured and stopped my dramatic overreaction to situations I think are going badly, I'm definitely starting to panic and think the worst. _Typical. _Like maybe she thinks I'm crazy, or clingy, or needy? I feel a bead of sweat start to form at my hairline but a soft hand on my cheek pulls me out once again. "You're cute when you get all nervous and panicky," she says endearingly.

"Shut up, I'm not panicky!" I protest, but who am I kidding, I totally am.

"You _so _are, but it's okay. I love you. And," she says, pausing to leave a brief kiss on my pouty lips, "I'll totally move in with you." I feel my entire body relax, literally letting out a sigh of relief, as she deepens our kiss.

I still can't believe that has happened in such a short amount of time. It's like everything I've waited for my whole life is finally coming true. Brittany is my girlfriend and she's agreed to move-in with me, I'm on cloud nine! It feels like my life is finally starting and I swear I'm the luckiest girl in the world.


	2. Summer In Lima

**Hope you guys enjoyed the first part. Here's the second! Love hearing from you guys, so don't forget to review! **

**Summer in Lima **

_July 2024 - Brittany POV_

"Honey, are you done packing?" I see a glimpse of the brown hair that I love so much on the other side of our bed.

"Yeah, almost," I hear her mumble as I make my way toward her and the scene in front of me shocks me.

"Uh, babe? You know the clothes need to go _inside _the suitcase, right?" I tease her although by the look on her face, I don't think it's the best idea.

"Yes. I know," she says her voice irritated.

"Can I help?" I ask hoping to ease the tension. I sit behind her on the edge of the bed and start to massage her shoulders, immediately feeling them relax under my touch.

"_Mhm_," she hums out clearly enjoying this. She's had a stressful week at work, actually a stressful month, but even more so the last few days. An artist they had signed was being difficult with studio time and another artists was close to missing an album release deadline due to having strep throat. And to top it all off, we leave in the morning for Lima. With July 4th weekend coming up, we decided to fly home and spend a week with both our families, going to the fair and just enjoying a week away from work and responsibilities. We both deserve it, her more than me at the moment.

These last six months have been the best of my life. It's so crazy to see how easily we both fell into a routine of living with each other, as if we've been doing it for years. In March, Santana even surprised me for my 30th birthday by flying out my dad and his wife and her parents as well. I have to admit that I was a little nervous to officially meet her parents but was happy to see that my nerves were completely outrageous. Her mom is a sweetheart and embraced me with open arms. Her dad, although quieter and more reserved, was also very welcoming of me and our newly established relationship. Apparently, my lovely girlfriend had told them about me many years ago and would often bring my name up in conversation, so the sudden change of our relationship status was not a surprise to either one of them, in fact was welcomed.

Needless to say, my dad was just as happy to finally meet Santana and we ended up spending a lovely weekend with family, celebrating the big 3-0 for me. Anyways, here we are, trying to pack for our morning flight.

"How about you take a break, let's get some food, then we can finish up in here," I suggest as I lean down to leave a kiss against her shoulder. Her body immediately leans back into my embrace as we take in the silence and comfort of being in each other's arms.

"That sounds good," she says before standing up and finding her place between my legs, my hands automatically moving to her hips. "Sorry, I'm just so tired and this week sucked, Britt. Like, really sucked."

"I know, baby. Just think, this time tomorrow, we'll be in Lima. No work, no loud city noises, just me and you, family and relaxing," I tell her as I rub the skin on her lower back that is exposed, knowing this always comforts her.

"You know it's funny, in high school I couldn't wait to get the hell out of Lima, but now I can't remember why! I can't wait to be there," she says softly through a giggle.

/

"Thanks for helping, Britt. You're the best packer ever," she tells me as she cuddles further into me.

"I'm kind of a pro, huh?" I joke as I kiss her forehead. We're finally tucked in bed, bags packed waiting for us by the front door.

"Yeah, you are. Are you excited?" She hums and I can feel her breath against my neck as she speaks.

"Super excited. I can't wait to get there and just relax for an entire week and eat some yummy home cooked meals."

"Hey! I cook for you all the time. Are you saying my mom's food is better than mine?"

"No, babe, I love everything you make for us. But it'll be nice to have someone else doing it for us, don't you think?" I joke with a chuckle.

"Yeah. Let's get some sleep. We have to be up early in the morning," she says and I can hear the exhaustion in her voice.

"Good idea. You're not really a morning person, so let's make sure you get your beauty rest."

"Shut up," she tiredly mumbles and I know she's only minutes away from knocking out on me. "G'night babe. I love you."

"Love you too, San."

/

"Home, sweet home!" I shout as we make our way out of the airport and toward the arrivals gate where my dad is supposed to be waiting to pick us up. We decide to stay with my dad for the first few days and then go over to Santana's parents house and stay there the rest of the trip. Normally, we would just get a hotel but our parents don't see us often so we figure why not stay with them to make sure we are able to spend as much time around them as we can. "There's my dad!" I say, spotting his black SUV.

"Hey, Dad!" I greet him happily as he wraps me into a big hug.

"Hey, kiddo. Welcome home. How was the flight?"

"It was smooth," I tell him as I move to the side so he can hug Santana as well.

"Hi, Brian. It's good to see you," she says. Seeing my dad and my girlfriend so happy and loving around each other warms my heart and I know I have a stupid smile plastered on my face at the exchange but I can't seem to care at this moment. "Britt?"

"Hm?"

"You want to get in the car?" My dad laughs obviously aware that I was in a Santana daze. I know I'm blushing but I don't even care to try and hide it so instead I wrap my arms around my two favorite people in the entire world and head toward the car.

The drive is calming as we make our way into Lima. It hasn't been long since I was home last, but so much has changed since then. The last time I was here I was a walking zombie, depressed and angry that I had messed up the one thing in the world that meant so much to me yet here I am six months later happier than I could ever be, with the love of my life by my side. I'd say things turned out pretty well for me.

We pull up on the driveway of my house and grab our bags before making our way inside. We are both immediately greeted by Debbie, who I've become much closer with over the last few months and so has Santana, with frequent FaceTime calls.

"I hope you girls are hungry! Lunch is just about ready," she says and I can already smell the food coming from the kitchen.

"Starving! Smells great in here, Debbie," I tell her as my dad walks in behind me setting our luggage down at the foot of the stairs.

"Why don't you guys go on up and get settled while I finish up in here."

I grab our bags and sling it over my shoulder before taking Santana's hand, leading her up the stairs and toward my room.

"What?" She asks me looking toward my position perched on the edge of my bed.

"I was just thinking how I have you in my room, and how if we had gotten to know each other in high school, how hard I would've worked to get you up here."

"Is that so? And what makes you think that I'd agree to come up here, Pierce?" She's teasing me. _God_, I love when she does that.

"Oh, I think I could've been _pretty _convincing," I play back as I grab her hands and gently tug her body closer to mine as I look up into those beautiful deep brown eyes.

"Britt, there is no way we're doing _whatever _you are thinking about right now with Debbie and your dad downstairs, who are expecting us for lunch might I add."

"Come on! You're no fun!" I say with a playful pout. That usually gets her to cave. She leans down resting her palms against my thighs.

"If you behave maybe I'll let you get to second base later," she whispers seductively into my ear before backing away toward the closed door a smirk plastered on her smug face.

I quickly gather myself and join her wrapping my arm around her waist so that our bodies are connected. "I only hit home runs, baby," I say with a wink and I see her throat constrict as she swallows hard. _Brittany-1, Santana-0. "_Let's eat."

Lunch is wonderful, Santana and I even keep the teasing to a minimum as we catch up with Debbie and my dad. We were supposed to all have dinner tonight, but Santana's dad was called into an emergency surgery so we decided to push it to tomorrow night, which is almost a blessing because I know we are both exhausted. We spend the rest of the day lounging around the house, helping Debbie with dinner and just hanging out. Something neither one of us have done with our families in a while.

"Ugh, you don't know how good it feels knowing I don't have to wake up tomorrow for work," Santana hums against my neck as we lie cuddled in the middle of my bed, finally tucked away after a long day travelling and catching up with my family.

"Mm. I think I do," I mumble against her hair as my hand moves up and down the softness of her skin against her arm.

These are my favorite moments with Santana, tucked away in our own little bubble, away from the stresses of work and real-life, wrapped up in each other's arm, breathing in her sweet natural scent, as we sit in silence, just taking in the comfort around us. Yup. I can do this for the rest of my life, and I plan to. This trip was planned for us to spend time with our families and enjoy some summertime in Lima, but what my lovely girlfriend _doesn't _know, is that I am also using this time to ask her parents for their blessing to ask her to marry me. That's right. I, Brittany Pierce am going to ask Santana Lopez to be my wife. Just the thought of it makes my heart flutter.

It's been on my mind since the second I got in the car and drove like a maniac on New Year's Eve to Santana. Granted, I wasn't even sure what the future would hold for us at that moment, but I hoped and prayed that it would turn out the way I dreamt of. Shortly after my 30th birthday surprise that Santana planned, my plan was put in motion. Step one was to find the absolute perfect ring, for my perfect and adoring girlfriend. And who better to consult with than her best friend.

_FLASHBACK_

"_Hey, Quinn!"_

_"Hey, Britt. How's everything with you?" _

"_Good. Almost done with some editing projects I've been working on. How's that cutie of yours? We miss her, by the way. San keeps telling me that she wants to have her over so that you guys can have a date night."_

"_I can't turn down an offer like that! God, my daughter has Santana wrapped around her chubby little finger," she says giggling and it's true, she does. I love watching the two of them interact every time we get to spend some time with Quinn. "So, what's up? Bored while S is at work?" _

"_No," I laugh because yeah, it is a little odd that I asked Quinn to meet up with me in the middle of the day during the week. "I was actually hoping that you could help me with something."_

_"Sure. With what?"_

_"Well," I drag on, "I need help picking an engagement ring for her." _

"_HOLY SHIT! Holy shit! You're doing it! It's happening!" She says not even trying to hide her enthusiasm. _

"_Yup!" I say just as excited, well, probably more excited than her since I'm the one that gets to marry Santana. "She'll say yes, right?" I don't know why there's this lingering thought in the back of my mind that she would turn down my proposal. I mean we've talked about it and we live together and talk about the future all the time but it still surprises me that this is actually happening, that this is my life now. _

"_Um, duh! That girl has been head over heels in love with you since you guys went on that trip after college. Like, seriously, trust me. She would call me every chance she got even when she was thousands of miles away to talk about you and what you guys did together." I blush knowing how much she talked about me. It also makes me a little sad that I was so oblivious at that time, to her feelings, and even more to my own feelings for her. "She would have said yes even then I think," she jokes to make me relax. _

"_Okay, okay. I believe you. Well then, let's find your best friend and the love of my life the perfect ring, shall we?" _

_We grab coffee before hitting the city. I never knew how hard picking an engagement ring would be, I'm frustrated and it's been hours and I still haven't found the one I like. _

"_Britt, it's okay. You'll find it," she says noticing my growing frustration. _

"_I know, but like, I want to find it already! Why don't any of those stores have what I'm looking for!"_

"_Let's try one more place then we can get a bite to eat and re-group. What do you think?" _

_I nod before we head to the nearest diner to have lunch. After lunch, as Quinn suggested, we try one more store. As soon as I walk in, I feel a good energy, like I might find the hidden gem I've been searching for. The sales clerk greets us right away and happily shows us to the section that would be most helpful for us. As I look through the rings that look fairly similar to the ones we've seen all morning, I start to give up, my shoulders slouching in defeat. Maybe it wasn't meant to be today. But before I throw in the towel completely, a diamond catches my eye in the back right corner of the display case. _

"_Can I see that one over there?" I point as the clerk takes it out before resting it on the protective pad against the glass. The diamond is the perfect shape, not too big but big enough to show how much I love this girl. It's exactly what Santana wants. It's everything she deserves. The band is filled with tiny diamonds around it as well. "Quinn, this is it!" I say, never taking my eyes off the ring that I'm now holding in my hands so delicately. It all starts to feel so real as I look at the piece of jewelry that will soon grace the finger of my beautiful girlfriend. _

"_I'll take this one," I say and the clerk nods with a smile. She must know that feeling, seeing customers happy, finally finding the piece they are looking for, especially when it comes to engagement rings. After I pay, a hefty amount might I add, but completely worth every dollar, because Santana means more to me than money can buy, we head back onto the streets of New York. I thank Quinn a hundred times for putting up with me all day before heading straight for Sugar's. _

_I always knew Santana was a clean and organized person from our time in Europe, but living with her was a completely different thing. The girl is organized beyond belief. It's not like I'm a mess all the time, but she's on a whole different level. She knows exactly where everything is in that house and the organization is ridiculous. Just another thing about her that I love, but it does make hiding the ring anywhere in our place near impossible. Sugar suggested that I leave it in their safe and I agreed immediately. I don't need anything getting in the way of my proposal. _

_/_

"Ready baby?"

"Yes!" I hear her voice come from the bathroom as I peak my head in, just in time to catch her putting the final touches on her makeup.

"Hey sexy," I flirt throwing a wink to her through the mirror which brings on the faintest blush. "Excited?" I ask as I wrap my arms around her waist and rest my chin on her shoulder.

"So excited. I can't remember the last time I went to the fair. Probably when I was like thirteen," she says with that cute giggle I love to hear so much.

"Promise to save me a ride on the ferris wheel?" I wink at her, reaching out to take her hand in mine as we make our way downstairs with our luggage. We're heading over to Santana's house before going to fair and staying with them for the rest of our trip.

"Of course. You're my ride partner for life, babe," she says leaning in to give me a quick kiss.

The drive to Santana's house is quick since she only lives a few neighborhoods over from me. It's funny to think how close we actually lived for most of our lives without being in each other's lives.

The door is already wide open the minute we pull into the driveway and we are greeted by her mom.

"Hi girls. Come on in. Your father should be down any minute," she says embracing us both in a warm hug. And right on queue, as we enter the house, her dad is making his way down the stairs.

"Hey Dad. You guys almost ready?"

"Yeah. So, breakfast then fair?" Her dad asks.

"Yes. I told my dad we'd be at the fair around noon," I tell him. I'm normally very comfortable around her parents but today I plan on asking them the big question so I feel my nerves taking over and it makes making eye contact with them harder, which I'm sure they will pick up on eventually. I have to act cool, especially so my very observant girlfriend doesn't start questioning me.

We enjoy breakfast at her house before heading over to the fair. As we pull up, I see my dad waiting by the entrance for us.

"Brian, good to see you! Where's Debbie?" Santana's dad says as he hugs mine. It's awesome to see how close our families have become. Growing up in a small town everyone already knows each other but since Santana and I started dating they've grown even closer. Emilio and my dad hang out often, and Debbie and Maribel are always off hanging out as if they've been friends forever.

"She had to grab something from the car. There she is," he points toward her as she approaches us.

We buy our tickets and make our way inside. We head straight for the carnival games, both of our dads trying to win a prize at every booth as we stand and watch.

"Babe, can you grab me a drink? I'm gonna get more coins for us to play some games," I ask my girlfriend, hoping to get a minute alone with her parents. I figured the earlier I talk to them, the sooner I can relax and enjoy the rest of the day with our families.

"Sure, baby. Dr. Pepper?"

"You know me so well," I tell her as I lean in to give her a kiss. "Love you." She winks at me blowing me a kiss as she makes her way toward the booth that sells drinks. Luckily for me its halfway across the fair, giving me plenty of time.

"Um, Maribel? Emilio? Can I talk to you two for a minute?" I ask feeling my palms start to sweat and my heart start to race.

"Of course, Brittany. Everything okay?" Her mom asks me and I can see the concern in her eyes.

"Yes. Everything is okay. Actually, I'm hoping that after this everything will be better than okay. I know your daughter and I haven't officially been together for that long, but as you both know, I've been in love with her longer than I even realized. She is honestly the best thing that has ever happened to me. She makes my life better and I was hoping to get your blessing to ask her to marry me," I say and hold my breath as I look between them.

"Oh, Brittany!" Her mom gasps as she covers her mouth, her eyes tearing with happiness. "This is incredible!" She says before wrapping her arms around me. I feel myself relax in her embrace. As I leave her arms, I look over to her dad, praying that he shares the same sentiments as his wife.

"Brittany," he says and if it wasn't for the smile starting to form on his face I would think he was about to tell me that he wasn't supportive of this. "I don't think there is anyone else in this world that I would want my baby girl to spend the rest of her life with. Maribel and I can't wait to officially have you in our family," he finally says.

"Thank you. Thank you both for raising such a beautiful and loving human being and thank you for embracing me and our relationship with open arms," I tell them genuinely. Her dad opens his arms and I don't even hesitate to throw myself in them.

"Why is everyone hugging?" I hear my girlfriends voice behind me and try to think of something clever to say but my body is still buzzing at the thought of proposing to her that I can't seem to come up with anything. Thankfully her dad is quick on his feet.

"Brittany was just telling us about her new endeavors with starting her own productions company and we were just congratulating her," he quickly says and his answer shocks me since I hadn't mentioned that to them yet.

"You told them?" She asks me smiling. Santana has always been my number one fan, always pushing me to chase my dreams and after working as an editor for Josh the last few months, she had suggested that I start my own production company. I had told my dad about it and assume he relayed the information to her parents as well.

"Honey, we are so proud of both of you and all that you guys have accomplished," he says wrapping his arm around her before leaving a kiss to her forehead. "Who's up to riding some rides?" He says changing the subject and I shoot him a thankful smile, both for covering for me and for giving their blessing.

I take Santana's hand in mine as we make our way toward the rides deciding which one to go on first. It's later in the day and we take a break from all the rides and games to get something to eat before the sun goes down and the fireworks start. Growing up, the food was always my favorite part of the fair. We all split up to order food before gathering around a table.

"What did you get?" I ask Santana as I add ketchup to my burger.

"Chicken tenders," she says before dipping one in sauce and bringing it to my mouth.

"Yum," I say as I lick my lips. "Hey, what do you say we sneak away for a little? You _did _promise me a ride on the ferris wheel. We have some time until the fireworks start," I lean over and say only loud enough for her to hear, not that anyone else would since they are distracted with food and their own conversations.

"Hm, I _did _promise you that, didn't I?" She asks playfully. "Let's go."

I grab our trash and put it on one tray. "We're gonna go on the ferris wheel. We'll meet you guys back here for the fireworks," I say before standing up and taking Santana's hand into my free one.

I wrap my arms firmly around her waist as I feel her body lean further into mine and lean my chin against her shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll hold you the entire time. The key is to not look down," I tell her. She never did get over her fear of heights and I love her so much more for agreeing to go on this with me, knowing that she's probably internally freaking out. I leave a kiss against her exposed skin on her neck.

The young kid working the ride calls us over so we can get situated and pulls the safety bar tight on our lap, my arm immediately wrapping around Santana, her body instantly relaxing as she rests her head against my shoulder. When we finally reach the top, the ride stops so we can enjoy the view, well at least one of us could.

I feel her sigh against my shoulder before speaking up. "This was an amazing idea, Britt."

"The ferris wheel? I know, right? It's awesome up here once you get past the whole _heights _thing."

I hear her giggle slightly before lifting her head up. "No, I mean coming to Lima. Getting away from the hustle of New York and just taking time away from our busy lives and enjoying this peace and quiet and this special time with our families."

"Yeah. It's nice," I agree with her as we look out on our small town of Lima. The town that we both grew up in and although we weren't close during that time, I can see us spending a lot of time here in the future, together.

"We should come back as often as we can," she says softly. "Maybe we can even bring our kids here one day," she says even quieter. I'm not sure if she intended for me to hear the last part. Sure, we've talked about our future, weddings and kids, the whole thing, but hearing her make comments like the one she just did makes my heart flutter and just confirms that buying the ring that is safely tucked away back in New York is going to be one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life.

"I think that sounds like a great idea, baby," I whisper to her. It's nice having moments like this tucked away in our little bubble away from the real world. I hope to have many more like it for the rest of our lives.


	3. On One Knee

**Part 3! Happy Sunday! Enjoy and don't forget to follow and review! :P**

**On One Knee**

_August 2024 - Santana POV _

"Nicole, please get Jeff on the phone for me."

"Okay, oh, and also, Brittany called. She would like you to call her back when you get a minute."

I nod as I make my way past my assistant's desk and into my office to finally take a seat, feeling the ache in my feet start to subside as I slip my heels off under the table where no one can see. It's been one of those crazy non-stop days but thankfully it's Friday and I don't plan on doing anything for the next two days, well anything work-related.

_Hey babe! I left a message with your assistant, just want to make sure she's doing her job ;P Call me when you get a chance. Love you xo B_

I close my phone after reading the message sent by my dork of a girlfriend and sigh when the intercom in my office buzzes. "_Jeff is waiting for you on line one." _

"Thanks, Nicole," I wait for a second to hear the line go through. "Jeff, how is it looking? Think we can get the album cover finished by next week?"

After going back and forth with the photographer for the better part of an hour, I glance at the clock placed at the corner of my desk to check the time. I sigh when I realize that I haven't even responded to Brittany's text. I immediately dial her number.

"_Hey, San. Busy day?"_

"You have no idea," I breathe out as I feel the stress of my busy day leave my body at just the sound of her voice. "How's your day?"

_"Good, finished editing my last episode for Josh and had time to talk to the contractors about my office space." _

"That's awesome, babe! Can't wait to see what you come up with," I tell her. I am so proud of Brittany. No matter what she would have decided to pursue, I would have been proud, but the fact that she is taking the next step to start her own production company makes me the most proud.

"_I can't wait for you to see it either," she says and I can hear the excitement in her voice. "So, you gonna sneak out of the office soon?" _

"Yeah, gonna try. I should be home in a couple of hours," I tell her. "Want me to pick some chinese on my way home?"

"_We have enough stuff at home to make dinner. Just come straight home, I'm sure you're tired."_

"Okay. I'll see you at home then. Love you."

"_Love you too, San. Bye."_

I work for a couple more hours before I'm practically dragging myself out of the office. Thankfully, we don't live too far but with Friday evening traffic it takes a little longer than usual to finally get home. The elevator feels like it takes extra long as it makes its way up to our floor. Digging my keys out from the bottom of my purse I finally get the door open, immediately kicking my shoes off and moving further inside to find the gorgeous blonde that I get to call mine. When I don't see her in the living room or kitchen, I move toward our bedroom hoping to find her there and just counting down the seconds until I can throw myself in her waiting arms.

"Baby?" I say out loud hoping to see where she's hiding.

"Bathroom, San!" I hear her yell from our en suite bathroom. I quicken my pace as I make my way through our room and toward the bathroom. "Hey, babe," she says opening up her arms as I don't even hesitate to snuggle close against her body letting her arms wrap warmly around mine. We stand there in the middle of our bathroom in silence for a minute just enjoying being in each other's arms. "How was the rest of your day?" She says still holding me.

I sigh. "Long. Long and exhausting. How was yours?" I ask lifting my head off her chest to look up into those beautiful blue eyes I've grown to love so much.

I see her eyes soften as they look into mine and a warm smile forms on her face as she leans down to quickly peck my lips. I hum against them loving how her lips always make me feel when they are united. "It was good. Missed you, as always," she says. "So, I was thinking, how about we take a bath first; we can figure out dinner after."

"Best. Suggestion. Ever," I tell her between kisses.

Brittany draws a bath in our tub which is used often in our household. I can smell the sweet lavender smell that she loves to use as I make my way back to the bathroom. When I enter, I see the lights slightly dimmed and candles lit all around the tub and on the counter. Her back is to me lighting the last candle so I move toward her and wrap my arms around her waist, nuzzling my head against her toned back.

"Thought this would be a nice way to unwind and to relax," she says as she turns her body within my embrace and wraps her long arms around me.

"It's perfect, Britt. Thank you," I tell her as I move to my tiptoes to give her a kiss.

"Shall we, m'lady?" She says in a cute accent as she takes my hand and moves us toward the edge of the tub. Her hands move to wear my silk shirt is tucked into my high-waisted pencil skirt as she pulls it out and off my body. She quickly but gently moves to the back of my skirt as she slowly unzips it, her loving eyes never leaving mine as the skirt falls to the floor and I'm left standing there with nothing but my bra and underwear. She goes to remove her clothes as well so that she is in the same amount of clothing as I am.

"You are so beautiful," she whispers as her hand comes to my face and softly caresses my cheek. "And I love you, so much."

I swoon at her words, still in disbelief that she is here with me, and that I get to see the way she looks so adoringly at me day in and day out.

"I love you too," I tell her. "So much." We both strip the remaining clothes off our bodies and she slips into the tub first, moving so that her back rests against the side, leaving just enough space for me to nestle between her legs. The second the warm water touches my skin and I lean against Brittany, every stress that was inside of me slowly slips away.

"This is nice," she says breaking the comfortable silence as she leaves a lingering kiss against the skin on my shoulder where her chin rests.

"Yeah. I totally needed this. Thank you," I say, my fingers lacing through hers that rest on my stomach. "Tell me about your day?"

"It was productive. Finally done with the editing project for Josh. It's going to be weird not working for him anymore after all these years but I'm excited for this next chapter."

"I'm so proud of you, Brittany. You have no idea," I turn my head slightly.

"Thanks, baby. I know you are. You're the one who pushed me to take this next step. I'm nervous but I'm also excited. I'm just anxious to get to work and finding the write script to produce," she says and we sit in silence again. "The office space is coming together nicely. The contractors are expecting it to be done and ready to be furnished in a month. Can't wait for you to see it."

"I know. It's gonna look great. Why don't we stop by tomorrow and check it out?"

"No. No work this weekend. I want you all to myself," she says and I smile a the thought of that.

"Okay, babe. Just me and you this weekend. No work."

Once the water starts to get cold, Brittany drains the water and we take a quick shower before throwing on some sweats and making our way to the kitchen to have a late night dinner. She insists on making grilled cheese for us and I don't try to argue as I watch her from my spot on the counter perfectly spread butter on the bread before melting the cheese between the slices. She insists that we eat on the couch, not something we do often.

/

"That was delicious, Britt. Who knew something so simple would hit the spot," I tell her as we climb into bed, relieved that the longest week was finally coming to an end.

"Can't go wrong with grilled cheese. I would eat it a lot while filming. It was the easiest and fastest thing to make, plus you can't mess it up."

I laugh as my body automatically shifts toward hers and curls into her warm body. The fact that tomorrow is Saturday and neither one of us have anywhere to be makes me relax even further into bed and into Brittany's strong arms. I must be more tired than I thought because the last thing I remember is feeling her soft lips against my forehead before I am completely pulled into a deep sleep.

I don't think I move once throughout the night and when I wake up it's only because the sun starts to shine through the window on this beautiful August morning. I start to stir and stretch my arms above my head before turning back to Brittany's side expecting to feel her body next to me. My eyes pop open at the feel of cold sheets under my fingertips. I know she isn't the type to sleep in, even on days off, but I am still a little shocked to not have her in bed. I sit up to listen for any sign of her in the bathroom only to be met with silence.

I swing my legs over the edge of the bed before making my way to the bathroom to wash up. I don't remember Brittany mentioning having to go somewhere this morning, in fact, she said it would be just the two of us all weekend. Slightly frustrated, I go to the kitchen to see if there is any sign of her there. When I reach the counter I see a coffee mug with a note next to it in her hand writing.

_Morning baby! I didn't want to wake you this morning you looked so peaceful. Just ran out to grab some bagels for us! Should be back by the time you are up and enjoying the fresh coffee that's waiting for you in the pot. Love you! Xoxo_

My heart melts at the note as I bring it to my chest before eyeing the coffee pot that she mentioned. She knows me so well. As I start to pour a cup, I hear keys at the front door and look up just as she makes her way through our entryway, bag of bagels in hand and a huge smile on her face.

"Morning! Sleep well?" She asks as she rounds the island counter, setting the bag down, and wrapping her arms around my waist.

"Mhm. Thanks for the bagels babe. They must be fresh. I can smell it from here," I say as my stomach growls loudly, eliciting a chuckle from the blonde.

"Yeah. I know how much you love the sourdough bagels from the shop around the corner. I may have sweet talked my way into having them make a fresh batch just for you," she says before leaving a sweet kiss against my nose.

"You are the best!" I exclaim. Sourdough is my favorite and she is my most favorite human in the world. She starts to cut the bagels and add cream cheese the way I like. "Want some coffee?" I ask.

"Please! I didn't have any this morning," she says, accepting the cup from me before setting it down next to the two plates at the island.

"I was a little sad when you weren't next to me when I woke up but I gotta say," I start to say before taking a big bite of the fresh bagel, "this definitely makes up for it!" I tell her my mouth full and probably covered in cream cheese.

"You're cute," she states as her thumb wipes off crumbs from the side of mouth. "Even with food all over your face. Dork." I can't help but blush at her words.

"So, what's our plan for today? Did you want to start looking at some stuff for your office?"

"No, we said no work this weekend, remember?"

"Yeah, but Britt, that's not _technically_ work," I say, my eyebrow raised as I take a long sip of the hot coffee.

"Nope!" She says popping the 'p' with her lips. "No work, at all. That's the rules. The weather is gorgeous outside. I was thinking we can rent some bikes and ride around Central Park? Maybe have a picnic?"

"That sounds like the perfect day, Britt."

"Good. And tonight we have dinner reservations at this new French restaurant I've been hearing about. I want to wine and dine you tonight. You deserve it," she says leaning closer to me with her lips puckered. I happily indulge in her request and meet her half way, connecting our lips.

"Yeah? Well, I won't argue with that! What time is dinner?"

"I made reservations for 8, think you can squeeze me in, Miss Lopez?"

I tap my finger against my chin pretending to think it over. "I think I can make that work," I add with a wink.

After breakfast, I quickly change into some shorts and a t-shirt and we make our way to Central Park. It is full of tourist this time of year and normally the crowd would bother me but it has honestly become my most favorite time of the year. Sure it's mostly humid outside but the feel of the sun against my skin and the smiles on the peoples faces makes me happy. Sometimes I forget to enjoy the city we live in but it's times like these that I truly soak it all in. We ride for a while before finding an empty grass area to set up a small picnic. Brittany packed a blanket, similar to the one I remember her packing while we were in Switzerland, the memory immediately making my heart flutter, and some sandwiches from the local deli we picked up.

We have finished eating and my head rests against her stomach as she lies on her back both looking up at the clear blue sky. "It really is gorgeous out today," I whisper.

"Yeah. Reminds me of the time I convinced you to ditch to tours to spend the day with me in Switzerland."

"I was thinking the same thing when you pulled out the blanket. That was a good day, wasn't it?"

"The best," she says softly. "It's crazy to think that was 8 years ago. Sometimes I want to slap myself for not realizing sooner what you meant to me." I can hear a hint of sadness in her voice so I lift my head off her and turn so that I am facing her, my head in my hands.

"Hey," I start, "don't beat yourself up over something from so long ago. We were young baby and we both needed to find ourselves. I don't hold anything against you and I know you don't hold anything against me, right?" I ask as I stare into those piercing blue eyes I love so deeply.

"I don't," she says lifting her hand to gently rub my cheek. "I love you so much, San. I know we were young and I know I've said this before, but I know I started to fall in love with you all those years ago. I was just too stubborn to recognize it as love."

"I know, babe," I tell her hoping to ease her regret and lean down to connect our lips moaning into the kiss. "I love you too." I profess against her lips and I can feel her smile against me.

We pack up our things and head back to drop the bikes off before making our way back home. It's a little after four when we walk through the door.

"We have some time before we need to get all fancy for dinner. Care to join me for a pre-dinner drink on the rooftop?" She is really making this whole day about us and I am loving every minute of it.

"I would love to."

She grabs a bottle of champagne from the bar and two glasses before we head up to the rooftop. Before Brittany, I hardly spent any time up here. But ever since, we have made the space more cozy, adding a couch and table to enjoy days like today.

We start to get ready for dinner both of us moving perfectly in synch with each other between the bedroom and the bathroom. It's funny how much you learn about someone when you live with them, learning their preferences or little quirks, to the point where you almost become one human. I smile at her through the mirror as she curls her hair perfectly using the curling iron and I finish up my makeup.

I'm frantically going through all of my clothes in our shared walk-in closet, standing there in nothing but my bra and underwear, when I hear Brittany's voice to let me know that she'll be waiting for me in the living room, and not to stress we still have 40 minutes until we have to leave.

I didn't get a chance to see what outfit Brittany settled on, but whatever it is I know she'll look beautiful, she always does but at the moment it is not helping me decide on what to wear. I snuck on my phone earlier to check out the restaurant she's taking me to and saw just how fancy it was so I want to make sure I look nice, for the restaurant and of course, for my girlfriend.

I finally decide on a simple black dress that I've worn once but always loved. I slip on a nude pair of heels before looking at my reflection in the mirror one last time to make sure I don't need any touch-ups. Satisfied with what I see, I grab my purse and make my way into the living room where Brittany waits. She must hear my heels tapping against the hardwood floor because she is standing there looking in my direction, and once I take in her appearance, my face matches hers. She looks absolutely stunning, wearing an emerald blue dress that makes the color of her eyes pop.

"You look so beautiful, San," she compliments me, beating me to it. I push further down the hall till I have her hand in mine and our eyes are level.

"So do you, baby. Absolutely gorgeous," I admire while sealing it with a kiss, just soft enough to feel her lips against mine, but not hard enough that I ruin her perfectly spread lipstick.

"Ready, my love?" She asks as she offers her hand like a true lady. I giggle at her goofiness but my love grows tenfold at her chivalry.

Although the restaurant is close to our place, considering the heels we both are wearing she decides to hail us a cab. The drive is quick, only going a few blocks down. Brittany insists on holding the door open for me at the cab and again at the entrance of the restaurant.

"Good evening. Reservation?" The hostess questions.

"Yes. For Pierce."

The hostess shows us to our seat, a perfect table for two near the window overlooking the city. The waiter comes and spreads a napkin on each of our laps before offering us bottled water and the full wine list.

"Red or white?" Brittany asks me while the waiter patiently waits for our order.

"Red," I choose and she nods in agreeance.

"These top two are our most popular reds, but of course if you ladies have a preference I'm sure we can accommodate," he mentions.

"We'll go with the top one. Thank you," Brittany decides. We are always open to trying new things and even more so when something is recommended.

He is quick to return with two glasses and a bottle, uncorking it and pouring us each a glass before setting the remaining of the bottle on the table.

"I'll give you two some time to look through the menu, our special for the night is a delicious duck confit. If you have any questions let me know," he says before giving us some time.

"Cheers, babe," I say raising my glass across the table.

"Cheers. To us," she says. "Thank you for spending the day with me. Think it's exactly what we both needed."

"I agree," I say before taking a sip of the wine. "Wow, this is incredible! We should get this again for home. So, what are you thinking about getting?"

"The duck sounds really good but also can't take my eye off this sea bass. Let's get a couple of appetizers. You okay with that?" She asks raising her eyes up from the menu.

"Fine with me," I tell her. I love when Brittany orders especially at restaurants like this. She's had the privilege to travel the world and taste the best food so I trust her judgment and always excited about trying something new or hearing a story she has of when she first tried a certain dish.

And on queue, our waiter, Pierre, approaches us to take our order.

"Can we start with the mussels and grilled octopus? San, you ready to order?" I nod. "Okay, I'll have the duck confit. Babe?"

"I'll have the lamb shank, please." He writes down our order and offers to refill our glasses before walking away from our table.

"Lamb sounds good, can't wait to try it!"

"It's been a great day, Britt. Thank you for all this. It's been so stressful this week and honestly this is exactly what I needed. A weekend away from all the chaos and just me and my love," I tell her wholeheartedly.

"You're welcome. I love getting to spend a whole weekend uninterrupted with you. I know we said no work but how is it going?" She asks as she leans back in her chair glass of wine in hand.

"It's going," I sigh. "I'm working on getting an artists album art squared away so we can release the single and we just signed two more artists. I know I complain sometimes about how stressed I get but I really do love my job and I'm so happy that I decided to pursue it."

"I know honey. I never take what you say as a complaint or that you aren't appreciative of what you have or what you've built. I am so proud of you, I hope you know that."

"I know. You tell me every chance you get. And I'm extremely proud of you too. I can't wait to see what kind of films you produce."

The rest of dinner is amazing, both our dishes beyond delicious; I can see why everyone is raving about this place. We polish off a second bottle before Pierre is back offering dessert. I look at Brittany letting her know that as much as I would love something I don't think I have any room left. She kindly asks for the bill before looking at me with those loving eyes.

"Quinn called me yesterday, I forgot to tell you. She was wondering if we can have Bella over sometime next weekend. Guess she's in desperate need of a date night. I told her that I would run it by you to make sure our schedules were open."

"Of course! I don't have anything next weekend. Tell her we're in," she replies. I love how much Brittany has grown close to Quinn and in extension, Bella. I mean, it's hard not to love that little girl, but the idea of my best friend of all time and my girlfriend get along so well.

"Sweet. I'll call her tomorrow and let her know."

"Ready to head home? I have something I want to show you," she says and the way she's acting all mysterious spikes my interest.

"What is it?" I ask knowing well that she won't tell me. She knows I hate surprises but the smile on her face gives me a little bit of patience.

"Just gonna have to wait and see," she tells me expectantly as she stands up and offers her hand.

She hails a cab, both of us too full to even attempt walking home.

We both discard our heels the second we enter our house and she pulls me toward the couch.

"I'll be right back."

I sit and wait patiently for my girlfriend to reappear, curiosity growing by the minute. When she returns she doesn't look any different and I only see a disc in her hand so I raise my eyebrow in question.

I watch her fumble with the DVD player before she grabs the remote and sits beside me on the couch.

"So, not too long ago, I worked on editing all the footage I had from the trip 8 years ago. And I thought you'd like to watch it with me," she says and I detect a little hesitation or nervousness, I'm not sure which nor am I sure why.

"Really? Of course! I can't believe you still have all that footage. This is so exciting!" I tell her enthusiastically hoping to ease whatever it is that she is feeling.

She presses play and immediately a intro song starts to play and different images and video footage start blending together in a montage of all her scenic shots she took. There is some of the view off the many trains we took and some of the outskirts of the historic places we visited. With one image all my memories of that trip come crashing back. The music dims and suddenly I see my 22 year-old self on screen and almost gasp at myself. I was so young. We all were! It's crazy to see.

"_Hey, Britt! Should I like be a tour guide for you?" _I hear myself say. Oh gosh, how embarrassing.

It's as if she's captured everything, things I don't even remember but I'm so happy she did. This is a great memory.

"_Alright guys, who's ready to cook pasta?" _Brittany says on screen and flashes of our smiling faces appear on the tv. It's amazing to see that this was early on in the trip and how much our relationships changed throughout the trip as we got to know each other better.

It flashes through Venice and Amsterdam and we reach our final destination.

"_What are you most excited to see today?" _Brittany asks.

"_Eiffel Tower!" _I hear Sugar and see her bubbly personality burst through the screen.

"_What about you, San?" _

"_Honestly? I'm excited to be on this bus right now!" _Wow, I really was a dork. Well, if you were to ask Brittany, she would argue that I _still_ very much ama dork.

The visuals of the Eiffel Tower that she captures are gorgeous and it's good to see because I can remember exactly how I was feeling at that very moment. Afraid to death that I would die at the top or even before reaching the top and also completely on edge at the fact that that was the moment I had decided to tell Brittany about my feelings. The last image is of me smiling ear to ear as we get back on ground level, a look of relief and accomplishment and pure happiness written all over my face and the video fades to black.

I'm about to turn to Brittany and tell her how amazing that video was and how much I cherish the fact that we have this memory which started our journey when written words that flash across the screen grabs my attention.

_This was the beginning of a beautiful friendship which blossomed into my most meaningful relationship. This is our journey Santana. I love you with all my heart, today and everyday._

Her brief words bring tears to my eyes, I'm so encaptured by it that only the cold of a missing body next to me makes me tear my gaze away from the screen in search of her. However, when I find her, all the air that is in my lungs escape and I'm left speechless.

Down on one knee is Brittany.

"Santana, all those years ago, I went to Europe on a trip with my friends. What I didn't know was that I would meet this beautiful, funny, dorky girl that would forever change my life. I think about our journey and wonder what would have happened if all those years ago I realized what we had was something so much bigger than either one of us could imagine but I know whatever it was brought us together in the end. You are my past, present and my future. I want to grow old with you, have babies and make all our dreams come true together. Santana Lopez, will you make me the happiest girl in the world? Will you marry me?"

By the end of her speech, I'm left weeping, both in shock and full of love for the woman in front of me. I start to nod not fully trusting my voice as she continues to stare into my eyes.

"Oh my god. Yes, baby, yes! A thousand times yes," I say as she removes the ring from the box and slips it on my finger. It's the first chance I've gotten to really look at the ring and this starts the tears all over again as I bring my other hand to cover my mouth. "Oh my god, Britt! This is gorgeous! I love you," I profess as I lunge into her arms practically tackling her to the floor and start smothering her face with kisses finally landing on her lips.

"I love you so fucking much," I continue to cry into the kiss.

"I love you too," she giggles as she keeps her hold on me so we don't tumble further. "You like it?"

"Like it? Holy shit, Britt. I love you it. It's perfect. You're perfect," I say as I continue to kiss her not able to get enough.

/

"We're engaged," I say for the 100th time as I stare at the ring that sits on my finger not able to take my eyes off of it for a second since she proposed.

"We are. You're my fiance. Sounds nice, doesn't it?"

"The best. I still can't believe this. The whole day and the dinner and the video and just everything. I can't wait to call Quinn and Sugar and my parents, oh gosh and your dad and Debbie! Everyone!"

"Slow down, San," she giggles. "We'll have plenty of time for that tomorrow. For tonight, I was hoping to maybe take my fiance to bed and love on her," she says her tone turning seductive at the end.

"Yes, please," I moan from my spot on her lap where I've been the last half hour switching between kissing her and staring at the ring.

She stands up in one swift motion carrying me bridal style in her arms.

"Shouldn't you save this for the wedding night?" I tease her as I wrap my arms around her neck.

"No harm in getting a little practice in."

When we enter the room I again am met with another surprise.

"Brittany, when the hell did you do all this?" I say as I take in our room, now decorated with a few rose petals, nothing too tacky, and a bottle of champagne chilling in an ice bucket with two glasses sitting next to it.

"I may have had a little help," she blushes. "Can I offer you some champagne, fiance?"

"I would love some, fiance," I wink at her as she pops the cork off and pours us each a glass.

"Cheers, to us and our future," she says.

"To us."

/

With the alcohol from dinner mixed with the champagne and the whirlwind of getting engaged, my head is buzzing in the best way. It just heightens the second Brittany starts to kiss me and lowers me flat against the mattress as she finds her spot above me. I moan into each kiss as she starts to lower them and nip at my neck.

Her hands start to wander as she plays with the zipper of my dress which is hard to reach in the position we are in. I lightly tap against her shoulder for her to sit up so that I can to help her. Once we are both out of our dresses she lowers herself on top of me again and the second our skin touches my body heats up, heats up with desire for Brittany. We have a very healthy sex life, who wouldn't when their girlfriend is so fucking gorgeous and sexy, but this feels so much bigger than anything we've done before. We're engaged and it is so overwhelming, overwhelming in the best way.

Every time she traces a new patch of skin with her soft lips, it's like she is professing her love. Down my neck and between the valley of my bra covered breasts, past my stomach and across the lining of my underwear, so close to where I crave her, but she takes her time with me, she takes her time worshiping my entire body. And although I slightly squirm under her touch and the heat building between my legs becomes borderline unbearable, I can't help but enjoy the way her lips map out every inch of my body.

But just when I think I am about to burst, her nimble fingers work on the straps that cover my shoulders, slipping them off my arm, her mouth immediately covering my exposed breast, tongue and teeth working there way around it like her life depends on it as her other hand goes to cup the neglected one.

"_Ungh," _I moan unable to hold it in any longer.

When she is satisfied with her work on my chest she hooks her fingers into the seam of my underwear and at a painfully slow pace starts to lower it down my legs. She makes her way back up my body, lips never leaving my skin as she settles herself between my spread legs, arms hooked under each nose inches away from my more than ready center. I feel her hot breath against me and without any control left my hips rut looking for any kind of friction I can get.

This gets her attention as her head slightly raises so that she can look into my eyes and she gives me the softest smile just barely crinkling the sides of her eyes before she finally moves her tongue through my wet folds for the first time tonight. The sensation alone almost makes me fall over the edge as my head drops back against the pillow in pure arousal.

Because we have learned each other, each oother'sbodies and sounds, we know exactly what the other craves and when, so after her first taste her tongue moves more aggressively, lapping up everything I have to offer. My arousal is building and quick with the help of the vibrations from her own moans against me throwing me in a spiral.

I feel the beginning of my orgasm start to build, my toes tingling in the slightest when her lips wrap around my sensitive center and a slim finger enters me simultaneously. This elicits a loud moan from deep within. She adds a second as she works her way up my body so that our mouths are just barely connected, our breaths mixing together. My one hand wraps around her neck keeping her face in place as the other moves to her lower back, helping her keep the steady rhythm she so expertly has built.

"I love you so much," she moans between thrusts against my lips and I all but lose it at that exact moment, crashing our lips together, tongues darting in and out, desperate to stay connected.

"Fuck," I gasp as she hits a particularly sensitive spot deep within, encouraging her to do it again and again. "I, _uhh- _love you." The words are a struggle as my arousal reaches its peak and I feel myself exploding all over my fiance's fingers, never wavering as she helps me ride out the pleasure that soars through my entire body.

When she feels my body relax under her, she slowly removes her fingers from me a whimper escaping my body at the loss, her arms immediately wrapping around my body.

"Shit," I say still trying to fully catch my breath. "Engaged sex is _so _much better than girlfriend sex."

What feels like hours later, we both lay completely satiated, limbs tangled under the messy sheets of our bed. I feel her finger playing with the ring that sits so perfectly against mine as I lay my head against her bare chest taking comfort in the way her heart beats under my ear.

"Best day of my life," she whispers from above as her finger draws circles on my back. "When do you want to get married?"

I feel a happy tear threaten to escape my eye when I hear her talking about our wedding, of course it's something we've discussed before but always in the hypothetical. Now that we are officially engaged everything feels so real. "I want to get married right after the New Year," I say so simply. "What do you think?"

"I think that's the best idea you've had. New Years is totally our thing, huh?"

"Yeah, it is," I agree leaving a kiss against her neck.

"I love you, pretty girl. Let's get some sleep, we've had a long and exciting day."


	4. Four Letter Word

**Four Letter Word**

_February 2018 - Santana POV_

_Knock, knock, knock_

"S!"

_Knock, knock, knock_

"San!"

"I don't want any," I mumble in my dream state.

"Santana!"

"What?" I yell irritated and more awake than I was a second ago.

"Good morning. You look like shit."

"Ugh, what are you doing here?" I grab my phone to see the time. "At eight in the morning?" I hear a giggle coming from the one standing next to the unwanted intruder. "It's not funny. Why are both of you so awake right now? Go away," I say before digging myself deeper into my mattress and hiding my head under my pillow.

"I had a yoga class today, like I've had every Saturday for the past month," Quinn pipes up.

"And I just wanted to come visit my besties," Sugar adds.

The three of us in one room, who would've thought, right? After we came back from our trip, I connected with Sugar in Lima and stayed in touched. Around the same time that I was accepted into the music program at NYU for the spring semester, Sugar had decided to move to New York to open her own art studio. Lucky for me, Quinn was also planning on going to New York for Law School. Sugar already had her own living arrangements so Quinn and I decided to find an apartment together. With the amount of time the three of us spent together in Lima, we were already very close when we arrived in New York. The fact that we lived only five minutes from each other just solidified our friendship.

"You know, if I didn't love you guys I would seriously consider killing you both. It's my only day to sleep in and with the amount of sleep I've gotten this week, I desperately need it!" I say trying to be angry.

"You're no fun," I hear come from beside me as my bed dips. Great, glad they didn't listen to me and are making themselves comfortable.

"I swear, Q, if your sweaty ass is on my bed, I _will _kill you, and I won't even feel sad about it," I threaten.

"Chill, I already showered." Realizing neither one seems to be moving and that they are not going to leave me alone, I reluctantly drag my head from under the pillow and turn so I am lying on back and able to face the two on my bed.

"Who in their right mind does a yoga class that early?" I ask when I realize how early it must have been for her to be home and showered already.

"I like to get an early start on weekends. Makes me feel good," she says shrugging her shoulders.

I roll my eyes at her perky attitude so early in the morning. "So, I don't suppose you guys are going away anytime soon?" I look between the two them and already know the answer to my questions. I huff before pulling back the sheets and swinging my legs over the edge of my bed. "Fine, I'm up, happy?"

I hear them giggle behind me as I close the door to my bathroom. I wash up, hoping the cold water against my face will help wake me up. When I walk into the living room, I see them sitting on the couch watching tv and see two cups of coffee in front of them. I immediately pour myself a cup before curling up on the recliner, wrapping a blanket around my lower body.

We sit in silence mindlessly watching whatever happens to be on tv for a while, enjoying a lazy Saturday morning.

"So, what's up, Sugar? Why are _you_ here so early?" I ask again with less annoyance in my voice now that I've had a warm cup of coffee.

"I miss you guys, especially you, San. I know you guys are busy with school and I've been working on getting my studio up and running, but I don't see you anymore. I just figured I would come over and spend the day with you guys."

After hearing that, guilt sets in for how I reacted this morning. Not that I was seriously annoyed, it's just I really love my sleep, especially when I was running on less than 5 hours of sleep a night for what felt like the last month.

I give her a warm smile. "I miss you, too. What did you have in mind?"

She perks up once she knows that I'm in for whatever crazy plan she must have come up with for the day.

"There's this new club that opened up not too far from here. And I might have gotten us on the guest list," she says with a smirk.

/

"Holy shit! This is insane!" I barely here Quinn say as we make our way up to the entrance of the place. There are a ton of people standing in line trying to get into this new club.

Sugar walks up to the bouncer standing by the front door with us close behind. I look over to the crowd in line and I can see some of them getting irritated that we are able to skip the ridiculous line as I try and hide a smirk.

"I'm on Rick's guest list," Sugar tells him with confidence.

"Last name?" He says quickly with a list in his hand. I'm sure he gets a ton of people trying to get in by saying they are on some list.

"Motta."

He takes just a minute to find her name before he is lifting the velvet rope to let us in.

"Drinks first? Then let's make a round," I hear Sugar yell over the loud music as we push through the crowd and head toward the bar. "Three vodka shots please!" She shouts.

Sugar leads us around the club to 'check out the scene' as she always insists on doing when we go somewhere. The dance floor becomes more visible the further we move and it's even more packed than the bar. There are people everywhere; I guess this really is the hot spot to be. We manage to squeeze our way into the middle of the dance floor and start moving our bodies to the beat of the music.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see a guy eyeing Quinn. He thinks he's being subtle but I guess he is too caught up in my best friend to notice me staring at him. I size him up, trying to gauge the type of guy he is. Quinn's a big girl but if I get a creepy vibe from him then I'm definitely going to step in. I watch him start to make his move, inching closer by the second. He must be shy because he stops his movement when he is in arm's reach of Quinn but makes no further attempt to get close or try to dance with her. I decide to keep the night entertaining and take matters into my own hand.

"Drinks?" I ask and they both nod starting to turn to follow me off the dance floor. "No, you guys stay. I'll grab them," I say with a smirk. They turn back toward each other to continue dancing when I nudge the guy when I see him standing frozen in place eyes glued on Quinn. "What are you waiting for?" I say nodding toward my blonde best friend. A victorious smile spreads on my face when I glance back and see him _finally _make his move.

"Three vodka sodas please!" I shout above the noise.

"Shot of tequila and a beer!" I hear someone yell practically in my ear. I turn to yell at whoever it is and give them a piece of my mind but when I turn all thoughts escape my mind. I know I'm staring but I can't get myself to look away. This girl is absolutely gorgeous. She is a few inches taller than me and I take note of how her jeans hug her long legs perfectly, showing off her luscious curves, the way her top sits loosely on her slim body, low enough to show skin and just enough cleavage to make a person wonder what else lies beneath the thin layer, and then I see her eyes. They are a deep green and slightly glossed over, assumingly from the alcohol.

"Hi." Her voice breaks my stare.

"Uh, hi," I stutter as the bartender lines up the drinks I ordered and leaves the bill. "Thank you," I say before leaving a couple dollars as tip and juggling the drinks in my hand to turn and walk away as quick as I can before I make a bigger fool of myself. I've already been caught looking like a complete fool and I don't intend to stick around and embarrass myself further. Now I just pray that I don't drop these drinks. Now _that _would just be the cherry on top.

"Hey, wait!" I hear behind me as I keep my focus on the drinks. "Need some help?" She asks sweetly. I think about her offer and my initial reaction is to reject it and keep moving but when I look up ahead at the crowd I'm about to maneuver through, I realize the chances of making it to Quinn and Sugar with all three drinks intact is unlikely.

"Sure," I finally speak up. She goes to grab one of the cups out of my hand before looking back at me and I'm caught staring, words escaping me yet again.

"Where were you headed with these? I assume they aren't all for you," she jokes and that seems to relax me a little. I lead her through the crowd and toward the dance floor where I last left them. I can't hold the giggle inside when I see Quinn making out with that guy and decide to let her be. When I look around to find Sugar, it takes me a minute but I notice two people dancing rather closely not too far from me. She seems to have found someone as well.

"Are those your friends?" She asks and I can feel her body close to mine. I simply nod and look between their moving bodies and the drinks in my hand.

"Come on," I say before leading the way toward a table I saw when we first walked in. Thankfully, there are two chairs open so I put the drinks down on the table and she does the same. "Thanks for your help."

"No problem. I contemplated whether or not I should watch you struggle," she teases me, making me blush. "Sierra," she introduces herself and extends her hand.

"Santana," I say taking her hand in mine. I might hold on a little longer than a usual handshake should take but the softness of her skin against mine takes me off-guard. It's been so long since I've felt this sort of instant attraction to somebody. So long that I forget how to act like a normal human being. The last time this happened to me was with...

"Pretty name," she smiles and I feel my blush deepen, her smooth voice breaking my thoughts. "Your friends seem to be having a good time."

"Yeah," I roll my eyes. I'm not mad about it but now I'm kind of stuck by myself.

"How about," she says as she grabs one of the drinks and hands it to me, grabbing another for herself, "we drink these and then ditch this place. I'm kind of over trying to push my way through the crowds of drunk people just to get a drink or go to the bathroom."

"Won't your friends wonder where you went?" I ask skeptically not wanting to assume she's here by herself.

"No, they're just as occupied as your friends. So, what do you say? Interested?" _Sure, what the hell. _I grab the drink and toss it back in two gulps and see her eyes widen before doing the same. She grabs my hand and drags me out of the club.

/

"Santana," I hear my name from a distance. "Santana." It comes a little clearer as a feather light kiss is left against my temple. "Wake up."

"Mm more," I request with my lips puckered and my eyes still closed as I turn my body in the embrace of the warm one next to me. I hear a soft giggle before my request is met and soft lips meet mine. "Much better," I say as I wrap my arms around her neck to bring her body closer to mine as I continue to wake up with her kisses.

"Happy sixth month anniversary, babe," she whispers against my swollen lips.

"Happy sixth month anniversary, Si," I greet back as I take her lower lip between my teeth making her moan in pleasure. "I smell coffee," I say the second the aroma of fresh brewed coffee hits my nose.

"You are addicted to coffee, I think we need to check you into rehab," she jokes as she starts leaving a trail of kisses down my neck.

"Shut up. I am _not _addicted," I claim as I enjoy the feeling of her lips against my skin. "Want a cup?" I ask.

"I was actually thinking of a better way to wake you up this morning, something that doesn't involve caffeine," she says seductively, her eyes turning a shade darker and I immediately feel arousal shoot through my body. _Yeah, coffee can wait._

Two hours and multiple satisfying orgasms later we both lie completed exhausted, limbs tangled and sheets spread haphazardly across our bare bodies.

"So much better than coffee," I say still trying to catch my breath.

"Told you," she says with a cocky tone, sealing it with a kiss but the loud growl from my stomach interrupts us. "Hungry?"

"I guess so," I say embarrassed.

"Come on, dork. Let's get you some food," she says before sitting up and offering her hand.

We finally get out of bed against my will.

"French toast?" She asks me.

"You know me so well," I wink as I watch my girlfriend move effortlessly around my kitchen in just a t-shirt that hardly covers much of her lower body and I am _definitely_ not complaining. I keep my eyes glued to her before I can't take it anymore and sneak my way behind her as she goes to dip the toast into the egg wash.

I slip my arms under her shirt and around her waist enjoying the way her skin feels against my fingertips.

"Smells good," I whisper in her ear before resting my chin against her shoulder on the tips of my toes, sliding my hand a little lower teasing the seam of her boy shorts.

"If you keep doing that we won't eat at all today," she says her breath hitching as I push past the seam and slide lower teasing her center.

"I think we'll survive," I moan seductively turning my head slightly to nip at her ear. I feel her start to waiver, her hands now leaning fully against the counter, toast completely forgotten as I complete my assault and dip a finger into her welcomingly warm entrance.

"That feels good," she whimpers and that's all it takes for me to turn it into high gear. The position makes it hard to get a good rhythm and I can feel the burning in my arm but I push through, the way my name slips off her tongue driving me. I slip my other hand up to knead her breast and know by the way her muscles start to contract against my fingers that she's close. Even with the weird position I angle my hand just enough to hit that spot deep within when her knees buckle slightly.

And then she's coming undone with my touch and I help her ride it out, continuing to move my fingers in and out of her at a slower pace until I feel her body stop trembling.

She finally speaks up once she gets her breathing back to normal. "Wow," she says licking her lips and spins in my arms so that she is facing me. She leans in and connects our lips.

"Sorry, you just looked so hot while you were cooking. I couldn't resist," I say with a smirk and dive back in to explore her mouth once again.

"Don't ever apologize for _that,_" she says leaving a kiss against my nose. "So, how about we scratch the whole cooking thing and we go out and get something to eat?"

"Benjis?" I ask excitedly.

"So predictable," she teases me. "But first," she starts as her hands cup my cheeks, "I think we need to take a nice, long, steamy hot shower," her tone drops as she speaks the words against my lips before I'm being dragged toward the bathroom. _Thank God Quinn is out of town!_

_/_

"Why do you have to go?" I pout as I keep my hands wrapped around her by the front door. I'm not one to be clingy but with our busy schedules, mine more than hers we don't always get to spend days like this together, uninterrupted.

"Babe, I need to go home and prep for our date. You're coming over in like two hours."

"Ugh, fine," I say pretending to be annoyed. She's been planning this night for the last two weeks and I don't want to ruin it for her. She insisted on cooking dinner at her place to celebrate our six month anniversary.

"See you in a bit, sexy," she says before kissing me and practically running out the door, probably to stop me from distracting her and dragging her back to my bed. My girlfriend is seriously hot, can't blame me for wanting to have her naked all the time.

Once she's gone, I go to my room to rip the sheets of my bed. They are in desperate need of a wash but I am interrupted when I hear my phone ring.

"Hey, Q. How's Lima?"

"_Hey, S. It's good. Your parents say hi and your mom wanted me to tell you that she likes me better than you."_

"That's a complete lie."

"_I swear! No, but they miss you, San. You should come with me next time."_

"I know. I spoke with her yesterday. So, what's up? Miss me?"

"_Yes! And New York! Lima is so boring."_

"Lima is awesome!" I say sarcastically.

"_Getting ready for your hot date? You nervous?"_

"Why would I be nervous?"

"_Six months is a big deal, S. Plus, the way she's been talking about your date tonight, seems like a big deal to me."_

"Well yeah. It's our anniversary but still don't know why I should be nervous."

"_You can be so blind sometimes, you know that? I think she's gonna finally do it."_

"Do what exactly?"

"_I think she's gonna drop the L-bomb."_

"Can you stop talking in code and just blurt it out?"

"_I think she's going to tell you that she loves you!"_

"HA! You're crazy. No she's not."

"_No, I'm not. Have you seen the way she looks at you? It's like you are the only thing in the world that exists. I'm surprised she hasn't blurted it out already."_

The thought never crossed my mind. Sure, she's my girlfriend and I enjoy spending time with her but love? I don't think we're there yet. I don't think _I'm _there yet. It's only been six months. And we're young. What's the rush? Then again, I fell for Brittany, hard and fast. But that was different. We connected on another level, it's hard to explain. Love.

"_San? You there?" _Quinn's voice pulls me from my thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm here. Uh, I gotta get ready, Q. I'll talk to you later." I don't even wait for her response before hanging up.

Great. Thanks to Quinn, now I can't get my mind to stop thinking whether she's right. I try to push her words aside and get myself to focus on getting ready. I can't let this ruin my night.

/

"Hey, babe!" Sierra greets me with a quick kiss. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks, Si. Smells good in here," I tell her as she leads me to the kitchen. We spend a lot of time at her apartment since she lives alone and I try to keep the torture to a minimum with Quinn around although that proves difficult most of the time because we always seem to be desperate to rip each other's clothes off when we're around each other.

"So, I bought a couple bottles of wine. The guy at the store recommended them, since I don't know much about it. Hopefully they're good," she says and I see her hands clasped in front of her in a nervous manner.

"Hey, I'm sure they're delicious. Want me to open one?" I ask and she nods so I grab the bottle off the counter and quickly uncork it to let it breathe.

She pours us each a glass and we make our way to the candlelit table she has set up for us.

"So proper," I tease her.

"Well, it's a special night so I figured you deserved a fancy dinner. Cheers," she says raising her glass across the table. She takes the cover off the food she prepared and the aroma hits me and I hear my stomach growl.

"Wow, Si. You made all this?" I ask impressed with the widespread in front of us.

"Yup! The meatballs and sauce are made from scratch. My mom's recipe. Hope it tastes half as good as hers. I've never made it before," she blushes.

"If it tastes just as good as it smells I think you're safe," I smile hoping to calm her.

And it is, so delicious. I compliment her as we polish off the first bottle of wine.

"I made dessert too. Hope you have room," she says clearing our plates off the table before returning with dessert.

"You made an ice cream cake?" I ask surprise.

"Yeah. Remember our first date? When we went to that ice cream shop and you ordered it?" She asks and I nod. "You said that this was your favorite thing in the whole world and that it reminded you of your childhood."

"I can't believe you remember that," I say shocked.

"I remember every moment with you, Santana." The tone in her voice makes my heart flutter but at the same time makes my palms sweat. She's always been sweet with me but I keep replaying my conversation with Quinn in my head.

I'm not afraid of her feelings for me or mine for her, but I don't want to say something I'm not ready for and I definitely don't want to be that person that doesn't say it back when the time comes. Our relationship has been comfortable and even though I fought it for a while, here we are. My thoughts are interrupted when she sets a plate in front of me with a slice of cake.

"Good?" She asks after I take my first bite.

"Amazing! Who knew you were so good in the kitchen?" I tell her smiling before I take another bite.

"I like cooking for you. I'll be right back."

She comes back and sets a small wrapped box next to me. I spent a good two weeks trying to figure out what to get her and even dragged Quinn with me all over the mall, twice until I finally decided on something. When I see the box I get up to grab her gift from my purse and hand it to her.

"You first," I suggest.

I watch her as she opens the the box so delicately before revealing the leather bound journal with her initials engraved on the back.

"Wow, Santana. This is beautiful," she says examining the journal front to back and flipping through the pages.

"You like it? The leather binding is rare and they only make so many a year," I tell her. She was an English major and loves to journal. I've seen her other journals and they are just basic notebooks.

"I love it. Thank you babe," she says leaning over to connect our lips. "Okay, your turn!"

I giggle at her excitement and start to unwrap her gift. When I open the lid, my heart sinks. I feel my skin heat up and my heart start to pound. Panic. That's what I'm feeling.

"Before you freak out, I'm not asking you to move in," she says my eyes still glued on the key in the box.

My head snaps up, "I'm confused."

"I know you have your place with Quinn and I don't want to mess up whatever it is you guys have. So, I figured the next best thing was to give a key to my place. You can use it when you come over and think of it as your place too whenever you're here."

"Wow, are you sure? That's a big deal, Si."

"I'm positive. I've thought about this a lot," she says taking my hand in hers. "I want you to have it." She leans in further and moulds her lips against mine, deepening the kiss as she holds my face gently in place.

/

"What are you thinking about?" She asks while stroking my hair. We are currently lying in bed completely spent. After dinner and exchanging gifts we slowly made our way to the couch and then to the bedroom.

"Nothing," I lie wrapping my arm tighter around her waist hoping she doesn't see my face from my spot on her chest.

"Liar," she says.

"I swear," I insist before looking up at her to kiss her, hoping she drops the subject.

"Hmm," she squints her eyes at me. "Still think you're lying. You're doing that thing you always do when you are thinking too much."

"What thing?"

"You know, the thing where you chew on your bottom lip and furrow your eyebrows. Talk to me."

"I promise. It's nothing. Just stressed about the new semester and thinking about how busy it's going to be with school and the internship. That's all," I say only halfway lying. It is true. The upcoming semester is going to be crazy and I start my internship at the same time. But that's not all I'm thinking about. I know she didn't ask me to move in but I can feel something shift and with the key to her place it's only a matter of time before she asks me. It's weird because not too long ago I would have given up everything to be with a certain blonde and that was just after a month after knowing her. But Brittany was different. Something about her made life exciting beyond the norm. Sierra is sweet, she's beautiful and treats me like a queen but I don't feel that same spark I used to feel with Brittany. I feel guilty staying with someone that doesn't give me butterflies constantly. I care about her a lot, I just hope I don't hurt her.

"Hey, where'd you go?" She asks softly lifting my head so she can look deep into my eyes.

"Nowhere," I say with a forced smile.

She doesn't say anything but keeps her eyes on me and a soft smile spreads on her face. "You are so beautiful, Santana." She leans in and starts to place soft kisses on my face before finally claiming my lips. Her hand wanders down my back as she turns my body so that it's flat against the bed. Our kisses are slow and not rushed unlike earlier, her hand resting gently against my bare hip.

"Santana," she says my name in a way I've never heard before. "I-," she pauses and I hear her hesitate. "I love you."

And there it is. That four letter word. My words get caught in my throat and by the worry on her face I know that I've already waited too long to respond.

"I-," I start but immediately stop. I can't get myself to say it. I can't get myself to profess something I don't truly feel. "I-," I try again but still nothing. "I'm sorry," I say before I slip out from underneath her fumbling with my clothes that have been thrown around her room.

"Where are you going?" She says worried as she grabs the sheets to cover herself up, insecurity written all over her face. And that guilty feeling sets in. An uneasiness I haven't felt before.

"I'm sorry. I have to go."

"Wait! Santana, wait," she shouts before stepping in front of me to stop me from running out of her place. "I just told you I love you and all you can say is you have to go?" I can see the hurt starting to grow.

"Si, I care about you. A lot," I say and her face drops. "I just, I don't know if I'm there yet."

"Oh, okay." I know my words hurt her if by the look on her face says anything. "Um, that's okay. I don't want you to feel like you have to say something you're not ready for. Please, just don't go," she says and I see the internal battle inside. The one of wanting me to stay and the other of wanting me to leave, probably needing space.

I look deep into her eyes trying to read her, trying to figure out the best thing to do. "Okay," I say and I don't know if that's the right decision. It's weird getting back into bed with her and her arms don't automatically wrap around me as they usually do and we both lie there in silence.

"We should get some sleep. Goodnight, Santana," she says before leaning over to turn the lamp on her side table off. I turn so that my back is facing her feeling uncomfortable but that changes when her body presses against mine and her arm tentatively snakes around my waist. I feel her breath against my neck and her lips press softly leaving a barely there kiss to it.

/

Quinn comes back on Sunday and I've never been so thankful to see her in my life. The morning after was uncomfortable to say the least, but luckily as the day went on I felt Sierra loosening up. I kiss her goodbye before heading home, letting her know I would call her later.

I vent and vent and vent to Quinn and she sits there listening, not once judging me. Once I'm done getting it all off my chest, she points out that she see's I care about Sierra but still have this different idea of love in my head, one I experienced with Brittany and one I haven't felt since. Maybe subconsciously I'm still holding on to that love. I thought I moved past that but apparently not_. _It's not like I've heard from her since we left Paris and I don't expect to either.

"Hey, Si," I greet my girlfriend.

"Hey," she says giving me a quick peck in greeting. "How's your day?"

"Good, just going over my classes before they start up next week. What did you do today?"

"The usual," she shrugs.

"Quinn went to get food for us, hope you're hungry."

"Quinn isn't home?" She asks and I find it odd.

"No, she should be back soon," I tell her. Her eyes look distant but I can't quite figure out what it is. Things have been pretty normal considering I didn't profess my love back to her. She seemed to understand that I just wasn't quite there yet and from our conversation after it seemed like she would give me time. "Hey, what's up?" I ask cupping her cheek to grab her attention.

"I got a call right before coming over," she starts and I automatically start panicking. What if something happened to her sister or her parents?

"Is everything okay? Your family?" I ask quickly.

"Yeah, yeah everyone is okay. It was actually a job offer."

"What? That's awesome! I know you've been working so hard to find something. That's great news, babe!" I say but the expression on her face is not matching my excitement. "That is good news, right?"

"Yeah. It is," she says but I still feel like she is still holding something back. "It's with the company I interviewed with last week, the one I've been talking about for the last month."

"Seriously? So, why aren't you bouncing off the walls right now?" I ask through a nervous giggle trying to get her to smile or show any type of emotion.

"The job they offered is in Arizona."

"Oh," I say, shoulders slumped at that piece of information. So that's why she looks the way she does. "When would you start?" I hesitate to ask.

"Next week. They already have a place for me until I can find something myself."

"So, you already accepted it?" I question her not entirely sure I want to hear the answer.

"I told them I would call them back tomorrow with a decision," she pauses looking deep into my eyes her thumb rubbing circles again the skin on my hand. "Santana, ask me to stay." Her eyes are pleading and it breaks my heart. "Ask me to stay, and I will. Another opportunity will come up."

"Si," I shake my head trying to pry my eyes away from hers before getting sucked in further. "I can't do that. I _won't _do that. This has been your dream job since as long as I can remember. I won't be the one to hold you back."

Her tears threaten to escape her beautiful green eyes, her bottom lip slightly quivering. "But I love you, Santana. I'm in love with you, and if you ask me to stay I will."

I lean in and leave the gentlest of a kiss against her lips as my thumb wipes at the tears falling down her face. "I know. I wouldn't be able to live with being the person that holds you back from this opportunity," I say with conviction against her lips, our foreheads resting against each other. "You need to go, Si. I know it and you know it."

"I know," she says barely above a whisper through her tears. "I'm really going to miss you. I know you weren't ready for it all but I really do love you."

I nod in understanding. "We'll keep in touch, I promise."

And we did for a while until life got in the way and it became less and less. I missed her a lot but as time went on, I realized that I missed her more so as a friend. I cared about her and was extremely thankful for everything she did and I loved being her girlfriend but I don't think she was my forever love. There is someone out there for me and although a piece of my heart will always belong to a certain blonde, I am sure I will find that person that makes me feel on top of the world, the one that can make me weak in the knees, the one that I'll want to experience everything with. Someday.

**Hope you guys enjoyed it! Don't forget to let me know what you all thought! REVIEW! :P**


	5. To Have and To Hold

**To Have and To Hold**

_January 2025 - Brittany POV_

Santana. God, she's beautiful. I love the way her lips slightly pout in her sleep looking so angelic and peaceful. Yeah, I'm the creeper who stares at my fiance while they sleep. But can you blame me? I can't get enough and it's moments like this that are my favorite. I've resisted the urge to wake her for the past fifteen minutes but it's getting harder and harder. I look over to the clock that sits on the table next to my side of the bed and decide to give her a few more minutes before I start waking her up. I watch the way her chest rises and falls with each breath, the way the sheets cover her bare body, the way her left hand slightly rests on her chest and most importantly, the way the most perfect ring sits on her slender finger. I can't believe in 24 hours, I will get to call this perfect specimen lying next to me my wife.

Wife. Such a powerful word. It's the morning before our big day and as I watch her sleep, I think of everything we both have overcome, the journey we both have had that has led us to this very moment. The _biggest _moment. I'm ready, more ready than I've ever been in my entire life.

I've learned early on that she is _not_ a morning person but with that, I've also learned how to get her to wake up without being grumpy. I always start with a soft kiss to her temple, so soft that sometimes I wonder if my lips even make contact with her skin. I bring my hand up to her cheek, gently caressing her tan skin. I move my kisses, now a little more firm, down her cheek and along her jawline before whispering, "Wake up, baby."

This gets her to stir but not enough to open those beautiful eyes I yearn to see. I snake my arm under the covers and around her waist, making small circles against her hip with the pad of my thumb as I leave a solidifying kiss on her plump lips.

"_Mm,"_ she moans in her sleeping state and then after taking a deep breath and stretching her petite body, she finally opens her eyes.

"Morning, sleepyhead," I say her eyes sparkling up at me.

"Mm, morning," she greets back lazily throwing her hand around my neck, guiding me down to connect our lips once again for my favorite kiss. Morning kisses. They're so calm and not rushed. Her breath still sweet yet filled with sleep, it's just, _sigh, _perfect.

"Should I make us coffee?" I ask, knowing all too well that she functions the best with caffeine first thing in the morning. And with the next two days that we have ahead of us, she's going to need all the caffeine in the world.

"Not yet," she says her voice still laced with a sleepy raspiness. "I want more kisses first." And I happily oblige, never one to deny my love her kisses.

I rotate my body just enough so that I can comfortably rest above her and tilt my head enough to give in to her request. When our lips part I just stare deep into her eyes and can't get myself to look away. "Hi," I whisper as I brush my nose against hers.

"Hi," she smiles back.

"I can't wait to marry the shit out of you tomorrow," I say eliciting a giggle. Music to my ears.

"I can't wait to marry the shit out of you, too. Do we need to get up?"

"Yeah, we should. You, my love, need coffee and then I say we take a long, hot shower together before I'm torn away from you the rest of the day."

"I think that is the best plan you've had. I'm gonna miss you," she says with a pout.

"I'm gonna miss you too, but just think, the next time we see each other will be when we walk down the aisle, ready to start the rest of our lives together as wives."

/

"So, what's on the agenda for you ladies today?" I ask Santana as we enjoy our morning coffee on the couch, cuddled up with each other.

We decided to have the rehearsal dinner yesterday instead of the night before the wedding so that we can relax and hang out before the big day. Neither one of us were too crazy about having a bachelorette party so today will be spent separately with our respective maid of honors to celebrate.

"Well, nothing too crazy especially because Quinn is pregnant. We have a spa planned and then probably going to have dinner and just lay low at her house. You guys? Sugar have a party planned?"

"Don't think so. I told her to keep it mellow."

"Nervous for tomorrow?"

"Not in the least. But," I start to say, "I am particularly looking forward to the honeymoon," I wiggle my eyebrows.

"Is that so?" she teases.

"Very much so. Warm weather, tropical drinks, my wife in a bikini. Yup. Sounds like a terrible time," I tease back.

"Perv."

"Hey! You are seriously sexy, Miss Lopez, soon to be Mrs. Lopez-Pierce," I whisper seductively, leaning closer to give her a kiss.

"You are seriously sexy, too. And I can't wait. For all of it," she says her eyes sparkling with adoration.

It takes us longer than usual to get out of the house, neither one of us wanting to part. Knowing we won't be sleeping next to each other is seriously making us both extra pouty but we both wanted to keep up with some sort of tradition.

"Do you have everything?" I ask her as I check over my bags as well.

"Yeah. You?"

"I think so. I can always swing by if I need something." We make our way downstairs to get into a cab. I'll be riding with her to Quinn's before heading over to Sugar's myself. The cab ride is quick, too quick for my liking. I help her with her bags before wrapping her body up in my arms.

"You'll call before you go to bed?" She asks, her voice muffled from her spot against my chest.

"Of course. I love you, San. I'll see you tomorrow. I'll be the one in white," I joke hoping to see her beautiful smile one last time to hold me over for the next 24 hours. And it works.

/

"Britt!" Sugar answers the door enthusiastically, as usual.

"Hey, Sugar."

"You ready for tomorrow? Nervous?"

"Not at all. I am, however, interested to see what you have planned for us today."

"You told me you didn't want anything too crazy! Are you saying that's what you want now? I don't have time to plan that! Fuck, Britt!"

"Chill, Shug. I was just kidding. I just want to hang out with my best friend before I'm all married and boring."

"You calling me boring?"

"No?"

"Uh-huh, I didn't think so. And may I remind you that if it weren't for my 'boring' wedding, you would not be getting married to the love of your life," she says crossing her arms.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say. So, what's on the agenda first?" I ask.

"Well, lucky for us, Austin is gone for the night on a business trip, so, I was thinking a good old fashioned, middle school sleepover night, Brittany-Sugar style, what do you say?"

"Do you have the stuff?"

"All of it," she says taking me to the kitchen where the counter is completely covered in every junk food known to mankind. We would have these nights on weekends where we would have a sleepover and make ice cream sundaes with anything and everything that could be bad for us, and even with our parents warning us that we would end up having a stomach ache, we would still eat it, every last bite. Of course, we would also do the usual girl talk, you know, who our crush of the week was, who we would marry, the typical girl talk. We would binge-watch movie after movie until finally, we would end up falling asleep wherever we could find. Sometimes on the couch, sometimes in her bed, sometimes right there in the middle of her living room floor. Those were the best times of our young life.

"Let's order some food, Thai?" She suggests and I nod. "I'll call, you pick our first movie!" She shouts as she walks out of the kitchen.

Once the food arrives, we are quick to find our spots on her big couch. With our carton of food in hand we press play on a classic from our childhood, 'Bring It On'.

"I still love this movie, all those years later," I speak up.

"Me too. It never gets old."

I grab the remote to turn the volume down. "What do you think the girls are up to?" I ask my mind wandering to Santana and Quinn.

"Quinn mentioned a spa day. Think she was having a masseuse come to her house so they wouldn't have to be out in the cold for too long." She says taking a bite of her food. "Miss her already, huh?"

"No, just curious what they're doing," I shrug trying to act cool.

"Right. You totally miss her and want to call her, don't you?"

"We are perfectly capable of spending the day apart. We do it all the time with our busy work schedules," I defend myself.

"Work, where you both are so busy you forget anything else exists," she pokes.

"Shut up. I miss her okay? Happy?"

"See? That wasn't so hard now was it?"

/

Two movies and a bottle of wine later, we are curled up on her rooftop sitting area, with the covers drawn to keep the cold out and fireplace lit.

"Do you remember that time freshman year when you dared Puck to run through the halls in just his underwear?" She laughs.

"Oh my god, how could I forget that! My mom couldn't keep a straight face while trying to ground me." I grow quiet at the memory.

_Flashback_

"_Brittany Susan Pierce. What the hell were you thinking?" My mom yells and I chance a glance at her and can tell she is trying to hold her laughter in. _

"_It was just a joke, Mom. I didn't think he'd actually do it," I say my shoulders slightly slumped. It's rare when my mom raises her voice at me and let me tell you when she does, it is very, very scary. _

"_You know how that boy is. Don't tempt him! You're grounded."_

_"But Mom!"_

_"Nope. Don't but me, two weeks, no tv, no cell phone, no sleepovers. Sorry, Britt," she says and walks away quickly, probably to go laugh at the image of Puck running down the school hallways in his boxers with that stupid mohawk on his head. _

"I wish she were here," I say sadly. "I wish she could meet Santana."

"I know Britt," Sugar says covering my leg with her hand. "She would absolutely love Santana."

"I know," I pause at the thought of having the two people I love so much in the entire world in the same room interacting, hugging at Christmas, sharing stories and laughs. "Could you imagine those two at family gatherings? I could see them ganging up on me."

"She _is_ here with you, Britt. She is always in your heart. Remember that."

"I know. It's just hard thinking about my wedding day without her, that's all. But I'm so lucky to have you here and I'm so thankful that it's you that gets to stand next to me on the biggest day of my life."

"I'm honored, Britt. I'm so happy, for both of you. Think it's time for an ice cream sundae?"

"I think it's the perfect time for a sundae."

/

"Ugh, tell me why we did this again?" I hear Sugar groan from her spot next to me on the couch, our bodies both sprawled out trying not to barf everywhere.

"No idea," I say in equally the same amount of discomfort. "We don't have our parents around to tell us that this is _never_ a good idea. I think I'm done for the night. Need. Bed. Now," I grunt struggling to sit upright, my hand clutching at my aching stomach.

"I don't think I can make it to bed. Just leave me here," Sugar sighs in her usual dramatics.

"Come on. You are not staying here," I tell her as I offer my hand to assist her weightless body off the couch and push her down the hall and toward her room. "I need you rested for tomorrow."

Once I confirm with my own eyes that she is safe and tucked behind her bedroom door, I make my way toward the guest room that I grew to love during my stay the week of her wedding a year ago. After going through my night time routine, I pull back the sheets and feel my body sink into the fluffy mattress. Without skipping a beat, I grab my phone and dial the one number I've been dying to dial all day.

"_Hi babe," _I hear her raspy voice greet just a second after it rings. _"I miss you."_

I giggle at her cuteness. "Miss you too, how was your day?"

"_It was really nice. Quinn had a masseuse come to her house and we just hung out around here. Been a relaxing day. How was your day with Sugar?" _

"Sounds like a great day. Ours was kind of the same minus the massage. But it was nice to spend the day with her like old times."

"_That's great, babe. Are you nervous for tomorrow? Not having second thoughts, right?"_

"Not in the slightest. I can't wait to marry my over-thinking, panicky, dorky fiance."

"_Shut up," _I hear her giggle.

"I forgot to mention beautiful, sexy, gorgeous, breathtaking-"

"_Stop! Such a sweet-talker, huh?"_

"Only with you. We should get some sleep, even though it's going to suck and be nearly impossible to get any sleep without you curled up in my arms."

"_Yeah, we should."_

"Aren't you gonna tell me how much it's going to suck because I'm not next to you?" I tease her. "Wait, you totally stole one of my shirts to sleep in, didn't you?"

"_Maybe," _she drags out. _"You know your shirts are so much comfier than mine! Plus, I didn't think I would be able to spend the night before our wedding apart from you so, yeah, I took one of your shirts and it smells like you and it's the next best thing," _she rambles in that cute way I love so much and if I was next to her I would grab her face and give her the most passionate kiss as I so often do to get her to stop.

"I love you, Santana Lopez. And I can't wait to show you just how much tomorrow, in front of all our friends and family. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you baby and I especially can't wait to share my shirts with you, forever."

"_I love you too, Brittany Pierce. Goodnight, babe. Sleep well."  
_

"Goodnight baby."

/

The second I open my eyes, it hits me. The day I've been waiting for, the day I've been counting down to, the day I've _dreamed _of is finally here. Knowing that only in a short few hours Santana is going to be my _wife _makes my heart race, my body tingle with excitement and anticipation so I jump out of bed knowing very well that I won't be able to lie hear any longer.

For months we planned our wedding, discussing venues and food, to table settings and song choices. Since we chose to have the wedding in January, we knew we needed to find a location that we could keep indoors or at least closed off from the cold New York winter. In the end, we found a gorgeous house near the Hamptons and we were able to bring our vision to life. The wedding coordinator created an outdoor wedding without being outside by using clear covers. This way the guests would be able to see the snow covered ground and I would be able to say my vows to the most beautiful girl on the planet with the most beautiful scenic background.

"Good morning, Britt, you ready?" Sugar asks as I shuffle my way into the kitchen taking the mug from her hands and taking a seat at the large island counter.

"More ready than I've ever been for anything in my entire life," I proclaim. After enjoying our morning coffee, Sugar more than me considering I keep checking the time every few seconds, we _finally _grab our bags to head out to the Hamptons.

Santana and I made sure that the house was big enough for us to both be able to get ready there, on separate sides of the place to not risk either one of us seeing each other in our wedding dresses. Our families will be there as well to get ready while we both get our hair and makeup done. My anxiousness doesn't settle as the driver takes us out of the city. Sugar does her best to keep my mind preoccupied by talking to me but I just wish I could fast forward time, fast forward to the second I see Santana looking more beautiful than ever.

When we finally arrive, the butterflies in my stomach intensify. I know Santana is already here since we made sure our timing was just right so as not to see each other. We take our things to the room and immediately start with my hair and make-up.

Just as the stylist is finishing up with my hair there is a knock at the door.

"You look so beautiful, kiddo," I hear my dad's voice getting up immediately to embrace his open arms.

"Thanks, Dad. You clean up nice," I tease him once I get a chance to take in his appearance. He really does look handsome in his tuxedo. "Where's Debbie?"

"She's here. I asked her to give us a minute," he says his voice wavering with emotion. "I have something for you," he tells me as he reaches into his suit pocket. "This was your moms."

I watch as he gently unwraps the item in his hands. It's a good thing my make-up isn't on yet because the tears that start to fall down my face are out of my control. I gasp at the bracelet in his hands. I remember seeing my mom wearing it when I was a kid. She used to tell me about how it's been in her family for many generations. It's a simple studded bracelet and always looked so elegant on her slim wrist.

I immediately unclasp the bracelet that sits on my wrist to replace it with. "She always dreamt of the day that she would be able to give this to you, on your wedding day."

It all just seems like too much as I collapse in my dad's arms. "I miss her so much," I whisper through my tears.

"I know, honey. I miss her too. Every day," he confesses. "Brittany, she would be so proud to see the woman you've become. She would have adored Santana. I know today is supposed to be one of your happiest days but I also know how much you are thinking about her. I need you to remember that she is here with us, she is always here with us but especially today. I love you baby girl."

"I love you too. Can you put it on?" I've never seen him hold anything so preciously in his life as he clasps the bracelet on my wrist. He gives me a final kiss on my cheek before going to the door.

"Debbie and I have something for you," he adds as Debbie walks through the door looking more elegant than ever.

"You look amazing, Debbie," I say with a warm smile.

"Thank you, Brittany."

"So, you have your something borrowed. We figured you could use something new as well."

I take the wrapped slender box from his hands. Inside is a beautiful pair of studded earrings that match perfectly with the bracelet that now rests on my wrist.

"Wow! Dad, Debbie," I gasp looking between the jewelry and them. "These are stunning."

"You deserve everything," he says. "We'll let you finish up in here. I'm sure you are anxious to finally see your bride-to-be," he teases.

The wedding hasn't even started and my emotions are all over the place. Let's just hope the waterproof make-up holds up.

"Ready?" Sugar asks as she enters the room. This is it. The day I've been waiting for, the day I've been dreaming about far before I even knew to dream of is finally here.

"Yeah. I'm ready. How do I look?" I ask.

"You look absolutely gorgeous, Britt. Santana is not gonna know what hit her when she sees you."

I walk with Sugar down the stairs and toward the back door where all our family and guests are currently seated, my dad waiting to walk me down the aisle.

"Have you seen her?" I ask anxiously.

"I have," he tells me. "Ready, kiddo?"

I nod my head and take his arm. Santana has already walked down the aisle. I squeeze my dad's arm and take one last deep breath before the doors finally open. When they do, my eyes immediately shoot down the aisle that is lined with white silk and perfectly placed flowers that Santana picked attached to the end chairs. But what really gets my attention is Santana. My breath catches in my throat as I take in her beauty. The dress she picked looks like it was made for her as it hugs her body before ever so slightly flowing toward the bottom. It's simple yet elegant, showing off a little bit of skin with the strapless style she chose. I almost forget that I'm moving and as I get closer her face becomes clearer and I'm finally able to see the light make-up that coats her face. I always tell her how much I love the natural look on her and I'm happy to see that she kept it simple for our special day.

A warm smile is spread across her face and a small tear threatens to stain her soft cheek and I realize that the same is happening to me. When we finally reach the end, I turn to my dad who gives me a warm hug, kisses my cheek and takes his seat next to Debbie in the first row. I quickly turn to Santana and take her hands in mine as I face her underneath the arbor that was designed for us.

"Hi," I whisper.

"Hi," she whispers back through her smile.

"You look," I start to say not able to find a word that describes the way she looks. "You look so beautiful, San."

I see her blush but her eyes stay on mine. "So do you, Britt."

"Welcome family and friends," the officiant starts. "We are gathered here today to celebrate with Santana and Brittany as they proclaim their love and commitment to the world. We are gathered to rejoice, with and for them, in the new life they now undertake together. Santana and Brittany, the relationship you enter into today must be grounded in the strength of your love and the power of your faith in each other. To make your relationship succeed it will take unending love. It will take trust, to know in your hearts that you truly want what is best for one another and to learn and grow together. It will take faith, to go forward together without knowing what the future holds."

I look deep into Santana's eyes as the words are spoken, promising my unending love for her and our family with just a look.

"Santana, repeat after me: Brittany, you are my best friend and everlasting companion. You have brought me the truest happiness I have ever known. I take joy today in committing my life to yours."

Santana takes a deep breath before repeating, "Brittany, you are my best friend and everlasting companion. You have brought me the truest happiness I have ever known. I take joy today in committing my life to yours." Hearing her speak those words bring another round of tears to my eyes and fills my heart with more love than I ever thought possible.

"And Brittany, repeat after me: Santana, you are my best friend and everlasting companion. You have brought me the truest happiness I have ever known. I take joy today in committing my life to yours."

I lick my lips before parting them to repeat those words to the love of my life standing in front of me. "Santana, you are my best friend and everlasting companion. You have brought me the truest happiness I have ever known. I take joy today in committing my life to yours."

The rings are handed to us from our respective maid of honors.

"A ring is an unbroken circle, with ends that have been joined together, and it represents your union. It is a symbol of completeness, just as you two complete each other. It is a symbol of infinity, and of your infinite love. It encircles an opening, which is the door to your future. When you look at these rings on your hands, be reminded of this moment, your commitment, and the love you now feel for each other. Santana, place the ring on Brittany's finger and repeat after me: Brittany, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love with the pledge to love you today, tomorrow, always, and forever."

She takes the ring and slips it on my finger all while saying, "Brittany, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love with the pledge to love you today, tomorrow, always, and forever."

"And Brittany, now place the ring on Santana's finger and repeat after me: Santana, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love with the pledge to love you today, tomorrow, always, and forever."

I take the ring that I gave her months ago and slip it on her perfectly polished slim finger. "Santana, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love with the pledge to love you today, tomorrow, always, and forever."

"Santana and Brittany, before these witnesses you have pledged to be joined in marriage. To make your relationship work will take love. It will take trust, to know, that in your hearts, you truly want what is best for each other. It will take dedication and faith; it will take commitment to remain true to the journey you both have pledged to begin today. By the power vested in me by the State of New York, I now pronounce you wife and wife. You make now kiss your bride."

Not even a second after the words leave the officiant's mouth, my hands cup my wife's face and immediately pull her in for a much-needed kiss. A kiss that seals our love, our marriage and a kiss that marks the beginning of the rest of our lives.

My wife. The word swirls around in my head as I deepen the kiss, only enough to satisfy the need to taste her, to taste her after what feels like forever without. The whistling and clapping pulls us both out of our bubble as we pull away only enough to detach our lips.

"I love you so much, wife," she mumbles against my swollen lips and the smile that spreads on my face can't be contained.

"I love you too, wife," I repeat before taking her hand and turning toward the crowd, toward the people that have shaped our lives, the same people that have supported both of us as individuals and as a couple and we make our way down the aisle as Mrs. and Mrs. Lopez-Pierce.

Once we are through the double doors that separates the inside of the house from the ceremony, I wrap her up in my arms and twirl her around.

"I've missed you so much," I whisper against her neck as I take in her scent. I feel her body giggle in my hold and continue to leave soft kisses against her skin.

"We're married. Can you believe it?" She says in awe, her eyes filled with endless love.

"I know. It's surreal," I say and lean in taking her bottom lips between my teeth. "Also, I don't ever want to be away from you that long again. It was pure torture."

"It was but babe, you know we've spent time away from each other before. Remember when I went to LA to check up on the studio?" She so matter of factly tells me.

"Yeah, but that doesn't count. This was the night before our wedding. For some reason, it felt different being away from you," I pout.

"Hey, put that away," she teases as she pokes my lip. "We're married now and we _definitely _won't be sleeping apart tonight," she says seductively.

"Uh-huh. But we _definitely _ won't be sleeping either. Any chance we can ditch this place and get the after-party started early?"

She leans up on her tiptoes to reach my lips. "Come on, perv. Let's get to the reception. The earlier we start, the earlier we can sneak out of here," she wiggles her eyebrows before dragging me toward the other side of the house where our guests are waiting.

/

"Food!" I hear Santana say from her seat next to me. The decorators did an amazing job. The place looks even better than either one of us pictured. Our table is set in the middle facing our guests. "Baby, the filet is _so _good!" She exclaims as she takes a big bite, barely chewing before going in for another.

"Hungry much?" I tease her even though I feel my stomach growl at the smell of the chicken in front of me.

"Starving! I couldn't eat earlier. All I had time for and could imagine stomaching was coffee."

"I'm not shocked. You're addicted to caffeine, my love."

She rolls her eyes at me but she knows it's true. Once we are finished with dinner, everyone quiets down as the DJ starts to play the song we selected as our first dance. I nudge my wife and offer my hand to her so we can make our way to the dance floor.

I pull her close against me and wrap my arm around her waist to hold her in place. Her arm wraps around my neck and we start to move perfectly in synch and as the lyrics start to play, we once again get lost in our own world.

Her head rests against my shoulder as my favorite part of the song starts to play. I take the chance to lean my head down far enough to sing the words softly in her ear.

"_Promise me, You'll always be happy by my side_

_I promise to sing to you when all the music dies_

_And marry me_

_Today and every day"_

She lifts her head from her spot against me, a single tear falling down her cheek as the song continues to play.

"Today is the happiest day of my life."

"Mine too, baby. Mine too," I say and seal it with a kiss, a simple kiss that continues as we finish out our first dance as a married couple. We reluctantly come back to reality and make our way back to the head table.

As soon as we're seated, Sugar gets up and grabs the microphone from the DJ before making her way back toward our table to face our guests, champagne glass in hand.

"Hello everybody. My name is Sugar and I'm Brittany's maid of honor," she starts before throwing me a wink.

"She is _so _going to embarrass me," I whisper to Santana.

"Shhh, I want to hear this."

"I've known Brittany since we were five years old. We've always been there for each other in life's funniest moments, in its biggest moments and in its saddest moments. I've seen her dream big and I've seen those dreams come true. But what I never thought I would see is her finding that one person, _the _person, no offense Santana, that could make her so happy, so loved and so calm."

I look over to Santana who is giggling as she raises her hands up taking no offense.

"I don't know how many of you know the story of how Santana and Brittany met. But don't you worry, that's why I'm here. What some of you might _not_ know is that Santana and Brittany went to high school together. Santana was the nerd, again no offense, you know I love you, and Brittany was the popular free-spirited aspiring filmmaker. They probably spoke all of 10 words to each other back then. Four years later, fate laid a hand on these two. You see, Britt, Puck and I decided to take a month long trip around Europe and our little dork, Santana found out about it from yours truly and also decided to put her dreams of medical school on hold for a month and take this trip as well. I guess you can say the rest is history. But not really. You see, my best friend here was as blind as a bat when it came to her feelings for Santana. So because of that they went their separate ways. But once again, I was here to make everything right in the world. Last year, I was blessed to marry _my _best friend and when I asked Santana to be my maid of honor I knew I was one step closer to getting these two to reunite. Then I found out that Brittany was able to come since you know she was off travelling the world being a superstar. It took some time but I am so honored and happy to be able to stand up here today to tell this story, to see the happy ending they deserved. To Brittany and Santana, I love you both and I am so blessed to stand beside you guys to celebrate your love. Cheers!"

Sugar puts down the microphone and walks over to us to give us a warm hug.

"We love you, Sugar," Santana says as we embrace in a group hug.

Quinn takes the stage next and similar to Sugar speaks sweet words to both of us but not missing a chance to slightly embarrass Santana in the process.

Once the speeches are done, the real party starts as we join our family and friends on the dance floor. We switch between dancing with each other to dancing with our friends. I end up in Puck's arms and then in Sugar's before the music slows down and the two of us find our dad's on the dance floor. It's a sweet moment that we get to share with everyone watching.

The night is winding down and people start to say their goodbyes. Most have a long drive home and to be quite honest, I know Santana and I are itching to get some time alone. Our parents decided to find a nearby hotel along with Sugar, Quinn and their husbands. As we say our final farewells to them, we are finally all by ourselves in this gorgeous house.

"Hi, wife," I flirt with her wrapping my arms around her. We are both exhausted from the long day we've had, the adrenaline from all the excitement starting to wear off.

"I really like the sound of that," she cooes.

"Mm, and I love saying it."

/

I'm married. That's the first thought that enters my mind when I start to stir from my sleep early the next morning. It must be earlier than I thought because the sun is barely poking through even in the dead of winter. Warm beneath my arms is my beautiful wife. Wife. I still can't _fucking _believe it. Everything about yesterday was perfect. The ceremony, the reception, my bride and our first night as a married couple. Everything. Pure perfection.

I know it's early and I know how much my wife loves to sleep but I just can't help contain the need to kiss her, to touch her. I've always felt that need but ever since yesterday it's like that need has intensified. And so without a second though I softly drag my finger across her bare back. At first, she doesn't move but I don't stop as I continue to draw invisible circles on her soft skin and watch her face as she starts to awake.

A lazy smile spreads on my face as her sleep-filled eyes flutter open and look up into mine.

I don't wait to greet her with my usual 'Good morning', but instead, lean down and connect our lips in a sweet and gentle kiss, the morning kiss that has quickly made its way to the top of my ever-growing list of favorite things to do with Santana.

I feel her hum against me enjoying the sweet exchange.

I pull away when I feel her body shiver slightly against me. I know she's cold and although they say body heat is the best source of heat, I know that she is always particularly colder in the morning, especially with the lack of clothing and the cold winter New York is experiencing. I don't hesitate to pull the thick blanket from the foot of the bed over us and tightly wrap my arms around her.

"What time is it?" I hear her raspy voice say from her spot beneath my chin, tucked against my chest.

"Early," I simply respond.

"Why are you up?" She asks.

"I don't know. I just woke up. Since we're awake, I think we should hop in the shower."

"But it's so early! I don't want to," I hear her whine.

"Who said anything about actually taking a shower?" I tease her. "I hear shower sex is _way _better when you're married."

"Is that so?" She says more intrigued than before.

"Mhm, care to find out?"

This does it and she is out of the bed before me catching me off guard. Only when I hear the water running from the en suite bathroom does my body catch up with my brain and I'm running off to join my wife.

Yeah, married life is awesome. I know there will be hard days and we'll probably fight but I know the love and respect we have for each other will get us through those times and will make the good times even better. This is a new journey and I know we are ready to take this path together.

_To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part._

**Happily Ever After! Don't forget to review! :P**


	6. Baby Fever

**Baby Fever**

_July 2025 - Santana POV_

"Tim, give me good news."

"It's done! We can get the final album by tomorrow. Am I good or what?"

"I fucking love you!"

"Yeah, yeah. Anyways, I'll drop by tomorrow and we'll go over any last minute things before we send them out for release."

"See you tomorrow. Thanks again!"

Busy. That's the best way to describe my life at the moment. Fucking busy. But at least shit is getting done and I haven't had to yell at anyone today. So I would call it a successful day.

Other than the chaos of my business, life is good. Actually, it's better than good. It's fucking great! Sure, I have a stressful job, but I live for the chaos. Plus, the best part is that I get to go home after a long day to my beautiful wife. Six months and I still feel my heart flutter at the thought of that. My wife. I smile looking down at the gorgeous ring that shines from its rightful spot on my finger.

Married life is amazing. Pure bliss. Even with our busy schedules, I wouldn't change it for the world. Brittany is doing great with her own production company and recently even found her first project. After months of going through scripts, most of which I made sure to find the time to read as well, she finally found the one that she was passionate about. So you can imagine that I'm not the only one with a crazy hectic schedule. But no matter what we always make sure to spend time with each other.

Thinking about her, I grab my phone and send a quick text to check in.

_Hey baby. How's your day? -San_

I lean back in my chair taking this rare moment of silence to just relax before undoubtedly a phone call comes through or someone comes storming in my office with some sort of crisis. Not a minute goes by before my phone is buzzing.

_Hi babe! Not too bad. Just finished a meeting for final edits on the script. I'm actually about to step out for lunch. Any chance you can join me? -Britt_

I check the time and I'm shocked to see the time, just now realizing that I haven't had a chance to think about lunch. It happens more often than I'd like to admit and Brittany gets mad at me on the days she finds out that I skip it completely.

_Yeah. I can use a break. Want to pick something up and bring it to my office? - San_

She responds immediately.

_Yup! Been craving a pastrami sandwich from that deli. That sound good to you? - Britt_

_Perfect. See you in a bit! - San_

I straighten up the paperwork on my desk so that it's organized and get my things ready for my afternoon meeting so I can spend more time with Brittany.

"Nicole, please make sure the conference room is ready for the 3 o'clock meeting," I say through the phone.

"Of course."

"Thank you! Oh, and Brittany should be here soon. Send her straight back."

Just as I finish up around my office, my door swings open and in comes my bubbly blonde.

"Special delivery!" She cutely announces holding the bag of food in her hand and juggling two drinks.

I immediately go to help her before she spills anything.

"Smells good," I say greeting her with a kiss.

"You smell good," my charming wife retorts. I shoot her a playful smirk as I roll my eyes.

"Keep it in your pants, Pierce," I tease her.

"First of all, it's Lopez-Pierce. I don't know if you heard, but I am a married woman now. And second of all, may I remind you that we have had sex in your office, on more than one occasion, might I add," she answers so calmly.

"You're married? Shame. You're hot," I flirt back. "And may I remind _you _that those were after hours and _you_ seduced _me_. Totally took advantage of me," I joke.

"_Right. _Well," she says slowly creeping her way closer to me our lunch completely forgotten about, "I would very much like to seduce you again, and again, and again," she says leaving a trail of hot kisses along my neck and I melt in her embrace. Just when I'm about to through any sense of logic out the door and rip the clothes off my wife's body she pulls away. "But you're right, not with your staff here." Tease. "Let's eat. I'm starving!"

/

"Thanks for lunch."

"You're welcome. I'm glad you ate. Knowing you, you probably forgot about lunch altogether."

"No, I was gonna step out and grab something."

She sees right through my bullshit, cocking her brow and giving me _that _look.

"You're such a bad liar, babe. What time will you be home tonight?"

"I have a meeting at 3 and then I'm coming home. You're picking up Bella from school, right?"

With Quinn extremely pregnant and due any day, we figured we could keep Bella for a night just to give them time to relax instead of running around after a 3-year-old.

"Yeah. I'm gonna head straight there and take her to the park for a bit. Hopefully, that tires her out enough to knock out after dinner and a bath and gives us some time alone, if you know what I mean."

"Brittany! I am _not _having sex with you with Quinn's daughter sleeping around the corner!"

"You're no fun," she pouts. "I hope this isn't a rule once we have kids," I hear her mumble as I try to hold in a giggle.

We haven't really discussed when we want to start trying. We both know it could take a while to get pregnant but with our jobs consuming most of our days, the topic of when and how and who hasn't come up. But times like this when she mentions our future kids, it makes me think of a time when we will have little versions of ourselves running around keeping us even busier, but the best kind of busy. A smile creeps up and I get lost in the image of our future family and it makes me warm inside. Seeing Brittany with Bella is the cutest thing in the entire world and makes me fall in love with the woman I married even more.

After lunch, Brittany kisses me goodbye and heads to pick up the bubbly miniature Quinn. I get through my meeting and lucky for me it goes without a hitch making my day so much easier.

I pack up my bag and grab the demo cd from my desk so that I can listen to it later at home once Bella is tucked in bed when my phone rings. I expect to see Brittany's name flash on my screen but instead, see another blondes name appear.

"Hey, Q. How are you feeling?"

_"Like a beached whale. I'm so ready for this kid to come out. Everything is swollen, I haven't seen my feet in months and my back feels like there are a hundred knives stabbing it at all times of the day. Not to mention that I have literally tried every position possible to try and get some sleep but none of them are working. Also, this kid better be some soccer superstar because they are kicking the shit out of my ribs."_

"Sounds like fun!" I joke through a giggle at the image of my best friend in all her pregnant glory. I remember her pregnancy with Bella and honestly had never seen a more gracious pregnant woman in my life. But this time around has kicked Quinn's ass.

"_Laugh all you want now, but just wait till the day you and Brittany decide to have kids. I pray that it's you to carry and I can't wait to see how much you're going to bitch. Poor Brittany."_

"Okay, okay. You're right. So, to what do I owe the pleasure? Or did you just call to complain? Isn't that what your husband is for?"

"_I wanted to call and thank you for taking Bella tonight. You have no idea how much that is helping me. And Charlie has been listening to me complain for 9 months. Thought I'd give him a break for a little."_

"No problem! We love having her. I just hope you get to actually rest before the baby comes. Speaking of, any chance you want to tell your bestie if it's a boy or a girl?"

"_No chance in hell! Your impatient ass can wait one more week. You've waited this long."_

"Boo! As much fun as this has been, I need to head home to my wife and your daughter. If I don't get home soon, they might have my whole house turned into a castle again." I hear Quinn laugh.

"_Sorry about that, S. She's obsessed with playing princess. Not my fault that your wife happens to love it just as much."_

"Q, my whole house looked like a fucking movie set! But honestly, she's the cutest thing in the world. I couldn't get mad even if I tried."

"_Which one are you talking about. My daughter or your wife?" _She teases.

"Both."

"_So whipped. You really do have a weakness for blondes."_

"Except for you. Bye Quinn!" I shout and hear her start to yell but I hang up before she can get a word in.

An excruciating long cab ride later, thanks to evening traffic, I'm finally home. The second I open the door I'm met with a trail of couch cushions lined on the floor leading to the living room. I slip out of my heels for the first time and feel my feet aching but continue to follow the path getting closer to the noise coming from inside.

When I walk in, Bella is on top of the couch, tiara placed perfectly on her little head and Brittany wearing some sort of cloak.

"Oh no! Aunt Sanny! You're in lava!" She yells and Brittany turns to me with a dopey smile on her face. "You need to move 'fore you melt to nothing!"

I immediately move and join her on the cushionless couch and wait for her next move.

"Aunt Britty is the bad guy, okay? We need to be _very_ careful," she says very seriously and I glance at my wife who is trying to find a way to the couch without being touched by the so-called lava. She shoots a wink in my direction and I know by that look that she is about to attack. I scoop the little girl in my arms and whisper a quick strategy in her ear before looking back at Brittany.

As she approaches us I start to count, "One, two, THREE!" And as planned we both jump on Brittany tackling her to the floor and start to tickle her in all the right places.

"Okay! Okay! Mercy, please mercy!" My wife screams from her position, definitely caught off-guard by our actions and we all become a big giggling pile of mess.

"Hey little B," I properly greet the tiny blonde giving her a kiss on her forehead. "And big B," I turn to my wife giving her a proper kiss on the lips.

"Ewwwww! Kissies!" The little girl exclaims before jumping out of my arms making my wife and I fall into a fit of laughter.

"I see you got suckered into playing princess again," I quirk an eyebrow.

"I'm weak. She's too cute to say no to."

"And she knows it," I say before getting up to pick up around the living room. "Think we should get some food in you, princess. You hungry?"

"Can we eat pizza? Pretty pretty please!"

"See, how do you say no to that face?" Brittany whispers in my ear from behind me. I roll my eyes and know that Quinn will judge the fact that we are feeding her daughter pizza but she doesn't eat it all the time and Quinn is _not _here so, pizza it is!

/

"I'm wiped," Brittany says as she plops on the couch resting her head on my lap.

"She's a handful, adorable, but a handful," I say as I run my fingers through her hair, putting down my laptop on the table next to me.

"Mhm," she hums from her spot and I lean over to see her eyes closed, enjoying the soothing feeling of my fingers threading through her long blonde locks.

"Not bad. 8:45 and she's fed, bathed and fast asleep in bed. High five, baby," I joke offering my hand to my exhausted wife.

"We're so good at this! But I think it's my turn now, I need a bath and need to be tucked into bed too," she teases leaning up enough to whisper the final words against my lips before crashing against mine, slipping a tongue past my entrance. A moan creeps up at the feeling of her tongue brushing against mine.

Before we get carried away and end up in a very compromising position in the middle of the living room I stand up and drag her to our bathroom, making sure to grab the baby monitor I've had since Bella was born.

I start to fill our tub with water and put a few drops of the lavender oil that Brittany loves to use. I wait for my wife to take her spot in the tub before I strip out of my clothes and sink in, my back pressed against her front nestled between her legs.

"We haven't done this in a while," she says softly as her arms curl around my waist, leaning my head back against her shoulder, feeling completely relaxed and safe in her strong arms.

"It feels nice," I breathe back. "Quinn called me earlier when I was leaving the office. I hope she has this kid soon, she sounds miserable."

"I bet. But once baby Davis is in her arms, she'll completely forget about how she felt," she says sweetly.

"I know. I tried to get her to tell me what it is but she wouldn't crack." I feel her giggle behind me.

"Patience was never your thing, honey."

"Don't even try to convince me to wait until the baby is born when that time comes for us," I tell her sternly.

"But it would be kind of fun, don't you think?"

"Absolutely not, nothing fun about that."

"Okay, we won't wait when we're pregnant with our hypothetical kid."

"Good," I say and melt deeper into her arms as the warm water soothes my body. "What's your day like tomorrow?" I ask.

"I have a meeting with the team in the morning after I drop Bella off at school then gonna work from home the rest of the day. What about you?"

"Meetings all morning then coming home. They can handle finishing up the day without me. I have this new demo I brought home. Want to listen to it with me?"

"Yeah." She always loves to scout new artists with me and I love including her just as much as I love being involved with the work she does.

We finish up with a quick shower before we are tucked in our bed. The demo is good, Brittany thinks so as well. I can't remember the last time we were both in bed so early but I'm not complaining.

"I'm so tired," she yawns, my body curled into hers as we lay in a comfortable silence wrapped in each other's arms.

"Me too. Who knew playing princess was so tiring, huh?"

She lets out a tired laugh before kissing me against my forehead. "I love you, baby."

"I love you too," I whisper, lifting my head to give her a kiss before shutting the lights and slipping into a deep sleep, no doubt that Bella will be waking us up early in the morning.

/

"Tim, this is amazing! It's even better than I imagined."

"I'm the best!"

"And so modest," I tease. "So, we're all set for distribution on Tuesday. Think this is going to be a good seller for us."

"I think so too."

"Jenny, please get me the media tour dates and make sure everything is ready to go. Okay, next, I got this demo for a new artist that I think we should sign. Eric, here's her contact information. Let's set up a meeting for Monday and have a contract ready to go for me."

"Santana, sorry to bother you, but Brittany is on the phone. She's been trying to get ahold of you," my assistant says through the door. She knows not to interrupt my meetings so I immediately panic thinking the worst.

"Is she okay?" I ask suddenly feeling dizzy.

"I think so, she just asked if it was possible to grab you for a minute." I nod and excuse myself to my office, moving rather quickly.

"Hey, Britt. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, baby. Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, I know you're in a meeting but Quinn is in labor."

"What? Now?"

"Yeah, now. I just wanted to let you know that I'm getting Bella from school and taking her to our house until Charlie's parents get into town."

"Okay, fuck, let me tell them I need to leave. They can finish the meeting without me. Should I take a cab? How's traffic right now? Where the fuck is my phone?"

"Babe. Calm down. Don't rush. They're still at home. These things take a while. There won't be a baby for a few hours," I hear her laugh through the phone and I know I'm doing the panicky thing again. "Good to know who'll be the calm one in our relationship."

"Shut up. I know that. I was there when Bella was born, you know?"

"And I'm sure you were as cool as a cucumber," she teases me. "Finish up your meeting's and come home after like you had planned. Okay?"

"Right. Okay." I know I'm still a little frantic but with my wife so calm it seems to ease me.

"I love you."

"Love you too."

/

"Britt!" I yell barging through the front door.

"Aunt Sanny!" The little girl comes barrelling into my legs. "Baby is coming!"

I bend so that I am eye level with the little blonde. "I know! How exciting little B. Where's Aunt Britty?" I ask looking around for my wife.

"Hey baby," she says as she makes her way out of the kitchen. I quickly stand to greet her with a kiss. "Charlie's parents should be here soon."

"Okay. Have you spoken to Charlie? How's Quinn?"

Brittany doesn't immediately answer since there are little ears around. "Hey, Bella, why don't you start on the puzzle you brought and Aunt Sanny and I will be there in a minute to help you."

The little girl goes running into the living room to give us a minute alone. "They just called. She's doing good, considering, and they just got settled into their room at the hospital." I nod.

"His parents should be here soon. They're going to take Bella and then we can head to the hospital. I know you're antsy to get there."

"Yeah. Are you hungry? Did you guys eat?"

"We had something to eat but let me make you something really quick. I'm sure you're hungry."

"Thanks, babe."

"Anything for my wife," she winks and wraps her arms around my waist. "Love you," she says before giving me a kiss on the cheek and venturing off to the kitchen. I blow her a kiss and give her a loving smile before finding Bella, hoping that she listened to Brittany instead of getting herself into trouble.

"That's a cool puzzle."

"Daddy buyed it for me," she says proudly as she tries to shove a piece in the wrong place, her face scrunched in complete focus.

"I love it. Are you excited to be a big sister?" I ask, handing her the right piece.

"Momma say I help with the baby," she says proudly nodding.

"I bet. You're the best helper," I smile leaving a kiss on her fluffy blonde curls.

"Thanks, Britt," I say when she hands me a plate and I lean back in the couch and watch my wife take over puzzle duties.

/

"Why don't you take a shower before we go. We still have time and who knows how long we'll be there," Brittany suggests. Charlie's parents just stopped by to pick up Bella and they said that things were moving along slowly for Quinn.

"Good idea. Any chance you want to join me?"

"I showered this morning. Plus, if I join you, we'll never leave and we both know how anxious you are to see Quinn."

I roll my eyes. "Fine." Why is she always right?

After a quick shower, I blow dry my hair and throw on jeans and a t-shirt and head out to the living room to see my wife stretched out on the couch, her eyes closed.

I quietly get closer and settle myself in the small spot left on the couch and start to leave small kisses along her jawline, finally landing on her slightly parted lips. I know she's not in a deep sleep and this should get her to wake up easily. And I know it's working when her arm snakes around my waist pulling my body flat against hers and she hums in the kiss, her lips starting to move perfectly against mine.

"Have a nice nap?" I whisper against her mouth.

"Mhm," she says as she stretches as much as she can with my body nestled on top of hers. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah. Think we can stop at that coffee shop before?" I ask knowing she will happily agree.

"Of course."

We finally get to the hospital and grab our badges before heading straight to Quinn's room. Charlie is outside when we get there and gives us a look of relief before hugging us.

"Thank you so much for getting Bella today," he says and he looks overwhelmed although I can't blame him. I don't know what condition I would be in if Brittany was in labor. So many emotions would be running through my head; excitement, nerves, and definitely a good old fashioned 'Santana' freak out.

"I'm glad we were able to help," Brittany says next to me, her hand placed low on my back.

"How's she doing?"

"She's doing okay. She was gonna try and get some rest before the doctor comes around to check on her. You can go in there, S."

I look over to Brittany to see her nod in understanding. I give her a quick kiss on the cheek before going into Quinn's room quietly just in case she's managed to get some sleep.

"Hey, S," I hear the blonde tiredly say immediately. So much for resting.

"Hey, Q. How's it going?" I ask taking a seat in the chair closest to the bed.

"Much better since they drugged me up," she lazily giggles. "How's my baby? I miss her."

"Cute as usual. She's super excited to meet the baby. You raised a good kid, Q."

"How's Charlie? Did you see him outside?"

"Yeah, he's out there with Brittany. He looks a little overwhelmed but much better than the first time around."

"Oh my god. Don't remind me. If I knew that's what would happen, I would have seriously reconsidered the whole kid's thing with him. But then again, here we are, baby number 2."

I keep her company for a little, even helping her through a "mild" contraction, as Quinn puts it until the doctor and Charlie come in to check on her. I quietly slip out to find Brittany.

Two hours later, and we are still sitting in the waiting room. I'm getting antsy and turn to my wife who is sitting so calmly in the seat next to me reading a book.

"Babe," I say nudging her arm to grab her attention. I hear her hum in response, not once lifting her eyes off her book.

"I can't sit here anymore," I whine.

"Okay. Want to get some air?"

"I think I'm going to walk around for a little. Want me to bring you back anything?"

"If you end up in the lobby, I'll take some candy from the shop."

"Skittles?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

"Yup!" She says, popping the 'p' before finally looking up at me to shoot me a goofy smile.

I grab some cash and make sure my phone is with me before I start roaming around the maternity ward. It's crazy to think about all the kids that are being born right now in the hospital, and around the world. I see one woman walking around with her husband speaking encouraging words with every step she takes and I can't help but smile at the exchange.

I finally make it down to the lobby and look at my phone for the fifth time to make sure I haven't missed a call or text from Brittany. I grab a few snacks, making sure not to forget the Skittles before heading back upstairs.

"Here you go," I say handing her the snack she requested. She puts down her book and takes them from my hand before ripping the package open and popping one after the other into her mouth. "You gonna share?" I ask raising an eyebrow at her with a smirk.

"_Fine," _she pretends to whine. "You can have the orange ones."

"No one likes the orange ones, Britt. That's just mean!"

"I'm just kidding. And _I _like the orange ones so I don't know what _you're _talking about."

Another couple of hours passes in the same way, Brittany sitting calmly going between answering emails on her phone to reading her book, ever so often giving me a kiss on the lips or on my cheek making sure I haven't lost it completely.

Just when I'm about to get up to take another walk, Charlie comes out of the door, tears in his eyes as he lowers the mask on his face.

"It's a boy! 8 lbs. 3 oz," he announces proudly. We are both out of our seats so quickly, engulfing the proud dad in our arms.

"Congrats! How's the baby? How's Quinn?" I spit out wanting to know and so desperate to meet the new little addition into our crazy group of friends.

"Baby is doing amazing. You should see him, San. And Quinn. Wow. Quinn. She's so amazing. She did so good," he says, eyes filled with love for his growing family. "They are cleaning both of them up right now. She should be ready to see you guys soon. I'll come and get you guys." He runs back to be with his wife and newborn son and I turn to my wife and melt into her arms.

Brittany and I both skip toward Quinn's room when Charlie comes to grab us, both excited to meet the little guy. I walk in first and immediately gravitate toward Quinn who is holding the sleeping newborn in her arms.

"Hey, mama," I greet my best friend.

"Hey, S. Britt."

"What's his name?" I ask when I finally get a look at his cute squishy face. He has a blue hat on that looks too big for his tiny head and his bottom lip pokes out with the cutest looking pout.

"This is Liam," she says softly, not wanting to wake the baby. "Want to hold him?"

"Yes!" I say and bend down to gently take him into my arms. It takes me to the first time I held Bella. It was really the first time I was around babies. Being an only child myself and growing up with cousins around my age, I was never exposed to kids. I remember the feeling I felt when I first held Bella, something so small and fragile in my arms. That feeling comes flooding back when I look down at Liam. "He's beautiful, Q. You guys make the cutest babies. You should have five more," I joke.

"I think I'm good with the two we have. This shop is closed," she says through a tired laugh. Even after hours of labor, she still looks so beautiful. Motherhood looks good on my best friend.

Once I feel like I've had enough time with the baby, which, if I'm being honest, is never long enough, I turn to my wife who eagerly waits her turn. She sits in the chair closest to me and extends her arms out asking for the baby to be passed to her.

I so carefully shift Liam so that he rests in my wife's arms. The second the baby is nestled in her strong arms, something inside me cracks. Flashes of our lives in the future starts going through my head and it's like I fall even more in love with the woman I married. The image of her holding and cooing at the newborn makes me melt and I know that I want and need to make this woman the loving mother she is meant to be. I know I'm smiling like a fool staring at my wife do the simplest thing of holding a baby but the way she smiles so softly at him and the way she hums to him slightly bouncing him in her arms makes me not seem to care.

After we spend some time with them, we head home, wanting to give them time to rest and to spend with their family. The cab ride home is quiet, our hands linked in the middle. We make our way straight to the bedroom, both exhausted from the long day we've had. We go through our night time routine and are finally in bed, immediately turning to face each other like we do so many nights.

"I love you," she says looking deep into my eyes and inches closer with her lips puckered for a kiss. I quickly give in before I rest my head back on my pillow staring deep into her blue eyes.

"Britt, I want to have a baby," I finally say.

"Now?"

I nod furiously, my smiling growing. "I don't want to wait. I know we're both busy with work and life can get a little crazy but we're getting older, and being at the hospital today and seeing all those pregnant women and then you holding Liam, I just-" I'm cut off with the force of her lips crashing into mine and all the air in my lungs escapes me.

"I want to have a baby, too. I love you so fucking much, Santana," she says before diving back in and kissing me like she's never kissed me before. It's a kiss celebrating the next step in our lives together, and I just can't wait to start a family with the love of my life, a family I've always dreamt of having.

**:P**


	7. Blast From the Past

**Blast From the Past**

_December 2023 - San POV_

Fuck. I'm _so_ late. Between being Sugar's maid of honor and running my own music label, life has been crazy. If I'm not in the office then I'm out with Sugar planning something or another. And today is Sugar's bachelorette party and I'm running late. I was all ready to go when my phone started to ring and of course, something would go wrong on the one Saturday that I'm not available. After diffusing the crisis, I grab my phone and run out the door, hoping the Saturday morning traffic isn't so bad.

I fly through the lobby, briefly greeting the doorman, who I've come to befriend from my many visits to her building, and furiously click the elevator button to her floor for the door to close faster. I pick up my pace until I am in front of my door and knock quickly running my fingers through my hair when the door flies open.

My body freezes and eyes pop out.

"Brittany."

"Santana." I barely hear her say the same time as me.

We stand frozen staring at each other, my body in complete shock at the sight of the blonde standing in front of me, in Sugar's doorway, my mind going a mile a minute. Seven years, seven years since I've seen her and there she is looking more beautiful than I remember. _No, wrong thing to think_.

"Sorry! Um, come in," she speaks and I manage to get myself to move past her and into the penthouse. I'm still racking my brain over what is happening when she seems to take action and pulls me into a hug. "It's good to see you, Santana," I hear her say through the hug and I find myself hugging her back. I never thought I missed hearing my name coming from the blonde's lips as much as I have when I hear it roll off her tongue.

"It's good to see you, too," I respond, shocking myself that I am able to put together words.

"Yay! Santana, you're here! Okay, that's everyone!" Sugar shouts running into the living room by the entrance making us both jump in surprise and breaking our hug. I feel Sugar throw her arms around me in greeting, shoving a glass of champagne into my hand and dragging me toward the kitchen.

"Um, Sugar? Care to explain what the _fuck _is going on? Why is Brittany here? And why the _fuck _did you not tell me?" I ask her still confused with the blonde's presence.

Instead of answering my questions, she just smirks before addressing everyone in the room. This is going to be a _long _weekend.

I try my best to busy myself as much as possible which isn't as difficult as I thought considering all the things I had planned for us. After our time at the spa, we head to the house I rented and dive right into the games. We head to our rooms to freshen up for our nighttime activities and I finally have a minute to myself, a minute to finally let the fact that Brittany is here sink in. I try not to let my thoughts get out of hand, which, let's be honest is highly unlikely for me. I haven't even had a chance to talk to her with the chaos of the day. What has she been up to? Well, I know what she's been up to, I _do _watch her show on occasion, but I want to know about her life. I finish getting ready and head to the kitchen. I don't see anyone else and figure I'm the first one ready. I turn the corner toward the kitchen when I'm met with Brittany standing at the counter mixing a drink. Well, I guess now is a better time than any. We're finally alone.

"Hey," I say leaning against the counter.

"Hey, Drink?" She offers.

"Please," I answer with a smile. I thank her when she hands me a drink.

We stand there, neither one of us speaking but she breaks the silence.

"So, how have you been?"

"I've been good, You?" I ask after taking a sip of my drink.

"Good, Is this awkward?" She blurts and I can't contain the laughter that threatens to bubble out of me.

"Yes."

"Can we make it not awkward?"

"Yes." I place my drink on the counter and move toward her and wrap my arms around her, embracing her into a hug, a hug that I didn't realize I've missed so much. "Better?" I ask not releasing my hold on her.

"Much better."

"Confession. I think I've seen every episode of your show," I admit. "Twice." _Great, Santana, way to play it cool. _

"You like it that much?" I obviously said something right because I see a blush creep on her pale skin.

"It's a cool show," I try and play it off. "Plus, I'm the cool one that gets to say I know the director. But really Brittany, I'm really proud of you. You are living your dream," I tell her truthfully. I am proud of her for chasing her dream and making it a reality.

"Thank you. That means a lot to me. And yeah, I am. It hasn't always been easy, though," she says and I think I detect a hint of sadness in her voice, almost a sense of loneliness.

"Are you happy?" I don't know why I ask that but something deep inside me wants to know, _needs _to know.

"I'm happy," she answers vaguely before changing the focus back to me. "But what about you? Can I officially call you Dr. Lopez now?"

Sugar hasn't told her? I'm not surprised actually. It seems Sugar has been sneaky longer than I thought. I guess I never came up in conversation with them.

"Actually, I…" But before I can tell her that I didn't become a doctor, Sugar's voice interrupts us. We head to dinner and I conveniently take a seat next to the blonde and our conversation flows, almost as if we never spent the last seven years away from each other. After dinner, we head to an exclusive nightclub that I was able to get us in to. All the girls immediately get the shots flowing which I consciously stay away from. The last thing I need is to be just as drunk as I know the rest of the girls are going to be.

I see Brittany dancing and although I resist the urge to immediately join her, I feel my self-control starting the wither. So I find myself on the dance floor with the rest. Because of the loud music surrounding us, it makes it difficult to talk. Thankfully, the dance floor isn't as crowded as I assumed, making it easier to avoid bumping into Brittany. I'm very aware of the distance between our bodies as we continue to dance in place to the music blaring through the speakers. She shouts over to me that she needs a break and I agree to leave with her, my feet starting to ache from dancing in my heels. When we get back to the table, we find Quinn extremely drunk and it just makes me roll my eyes at her antics. Yup, I'll be the one having to take care of her tonight but it's hard to be mad at her. I know she has her hands full with her 2-year-old daughter and having her own law firm. Somehow, Brittany and I are able to round up the troops and get them in a cab. I leave the rest to find their way to their rooms, focusing purely on Quinn. Once I know she is tucked in bed, Advil and water on her nightstand for the morning knowing she will inevitably wake up with a raging hangover, I find my room and change into sweats before going to the kitchen to pour myself some wine.

I grab my glass and head toward the living room to get some peace and quiet since I know there is no way I can sleep right now when I see a certain blonde sitting on the couch with a glass in her hand. Looks like we both had the same idea. I smile before catching myself and just plop next to her.

"I'm fucking exhausted! Going out is a lot harder now than it was when we were younger," I sigh leaning my head back against the cushions and closing my eyes.

"Agreed. I'm used to being up late on shoots, but this wore me out!"

"Well, cheers, to being the last two standing," I laugh as she raises her glass to me.

We laugh at our friend's antics from the night and I even show her pictures of Quinn's adorable daughter, Bella when the topic of my career comes up, never able to get to it earlier.

"Tell me, do you have your own practice in New York, Miss Big Shot?" I know she is teasing me, she always would even back then. She would always play around and call me Dr. Lopez. Those were secretly my favorite times spent with her, those late nights discussing our futures, futures with endless opportunities. She always questioned my decision to pursue medical school and normally that would piss me off and I would probably get defensive but with Brittany, it wasn't like that. She was never judging me. It was always coming from a good place.

"No. No practice," I tell her simply and she tilts her head in confusion and _ugh, _that face she makes when she doesn't understand something is the cutest thing ever. _No, wrong thing to think, _I scold myself internally.

"Okay, then I bet you're the head of some department of a major hospital or something. Come on. Don't be modest," she nudges me.

"Nope. I never went to medical school." She doesn't even try and hide the shock on her face.

"What? Are you serious? But I thought that was like everything you lived for! You were studying all the time. Who does that on a trip, San?" Hearing her shorten my name after so many years makes my heart skip a beat. It warms my whole body, something I haven't felt in so long I almost forgot what it feels like.

"It _was. _After the summer, I went back home to Lima and really started to rethink things. I don't know, I just didn't have the same drive I had before for medicine," I shrug. I know she is itching to know more if the way she sits up a little more in her spot next to me is any indication.

"So, what exactly do you do now?" Her interest peaking.

"Well, I went to NYU for music," I pause when her eyebrow slightly raises. "I actually own my own record label here in New York."

"That's incredible, San! I can't believe it," her response so natural and genuine.

"I actually owe you for all my success," I say and turn my body to face her better before I continue. "You gave me the courage to follow my dreams. So, thank you."

Brittany being her modest self tries to deny being of any help. The conversation from that point flows so easily between us and it's a breath of fresh air like something I've been missing all these years is finally back.

"Any chance you can play hooky, boss? Since I'm in New York all week, we should hang out. I miss my partner in crime, exploring the town."

"Hm. I think I can arrange a couple of days away from the office. We can do the whole tourist thing," I tell her and I try to reign in my excitement and play it cool.

"Wow. It's almost 5 am! We should sleep. We have brunch reservations at 1," I say looking at the time before heading our separate ways.

Regardless of the time, the last 24 hours have been a whirlwind and as I slip under the covers I feel my body buzzing. It's a strange feeling being around the blonde again, a feeling I can't quite put my finger on but it's nice and regardless of our past, I can't wait to spend the day with her.

/

I can't get away from the office until Tuesday to meet with Brittany. We decide to meet early to take advantage of a full day in the city. I take her to my favorite diner, the same diner I would spend countless hours at, studying and drinking all the coffee a human body can handle.

Not to my surprise, Brittany loves the diner. I leave the rest of the day up to her and of course, she decides to ride the subway. I'm not the biggest fan and hardly use it myself, it's dirty and always crowded and would much rather take a cab or walk if the weather allows. As the day progresses, I feel myself relaxing in her presence and I think she does too with her subtle touches and what I think is flirting but I might be getting ahead of myself. Brittany is always friendly so I try not to read too much into it. That is until her arm wraps around my body as we stroll through Central Park.

"Body warmth," she says and I know my body tenses at first but that smile on her face and the warmth I feel with her arm around me immediately relaxes me. She thanks me for the day as we enjoy a hot dog that she claims is the best she's ever had which just makes me chuckle at her cuteness, her mouth full and thoroughly enjoying every bite. It's getting cold outside and I know we should head back soon. As much as I'm enjoying this time with her, I know that I need to head back home to try and get _some_ work done.

"Um, would you like to get dinner with me?" That gets my attention. I know I should decline, not because I don't want to spend more time with her but I don't spend a lot of time away from the office and yeah, my friends think I'm a workaholic but the label is my baby. She must sense something with my silence. "If you don't have other plans or work. I don't mean to assume. Sorry, you can say no. It's okay! I'm sure you have better things to do, or like a date to get to or girlfriend or…"

Her rambling is the cutest thing ever. "Britt," I say gently placing my hand to rest on her knee. "I don't…" I stop. I'm not sure what I was going to say. I don't have a date? Haven't had one in over a year. I don't have a girlfriend? That hasn't been true in over two years. But I don't say any of that. "I'd love to."

And the smile on her face is worth it, worth not rushing home for the first time in my life to work. I know the more time I spend with her can be dangerous for me but I ignore it and get excited for our night when I drop her back off at Sugar's and head home to get ready, letting her know that we could meet back here.

We never discussed where we'd be going for dinner so I frantically look through my closet for something to wear. I find myself giddily humming as I choose an outfit and start on my hair. It's the same giddiness I felt anytime we had something planned in Europe, especially when it involved Brittany. It's the same giddiness I felt when she convinced me to ditch the tours and spend the day together.

I check the time and take a minute to look myself over one last time before leaving. I choose a simple outfit, going with tight black pants and a collared shirt with sleeves that loosely hang down my arms cuffing at the wrist. I pulled my hair back in a ponytail and finish my look with some simple makeup. I make sure to grab my phone and purse and head downstairs to grab a cab.

Seeing Brittany dressed in a similar outfit to mine eases my mind on my choice. She picks a cute little Italian restaurant that I have never been to and asks to share a bottle of wine. It's comfortable with Brittany, I don't know why I thought it would be any different but it's nice. There's a sense of stillness with her and the way our conversation flows throughout dinner just solidifies that. I've missed her friendship more than anything. What happened with us was so long ago, and as far as I know, I was the only one that had any feelings back then. Sure, the way she showed up on our last night, the way she kissed me felt like there was a shift between us but nonetheless we had built a friendship, one I have yearned for ever since and one I feel like I have been missing all these years. Yes, I have Quinn and Sugar, but with Brittany, it was different, deeper, emotional. She took the time to see me, the _real_ me. She always had a way of digging deeper to ask the hard questions, to get me to look deep within myself.

I tell her all about how I came to own my own label and she listens with all ears as we continue to sip at our wine waiting for our food to arrive.

"Brittany!" I'm surprised to hear her name being called not that I don't think she has friends outside of our close group but she has been away from the states for so long. I look up and immediately recognize the girl from her show.

"Oh my god! Sofia! What are you doing here?" The blonde says enthusiastically quickly getting out of her seat to give her a hug as I sit and watch their interaction.

"My parents love this place. We just finished up an early dinner when I saw you," she says before turning to me with her hand extended. "Hi, Sofia,"

"Santana, nice to meet you," I quickly reply taking her hand to be polite.

"You haven't called me," she says and I see her pout toward Brittany. I sit back and unconsciously cross my arms seemingly getting irritated by the second. But I can't figure out why?

"I know, I swear I was going to. I've been really busy the last couple days."

"Well, how about we get lunch tomorrow?" What the fuck? I was supposed to hang out with Brittany tomorrow or at least that's what I thought we had planned. Sorry, _Sofia. _

"Um, I think me and San have plans tomor-"

"No. It's okay, Britt. I should check in at the office tomorrow anyway, plus I have some last-minute things to help Sugar with for the rehearsal dinner," I cut her off. _Why did I just do that? _I try to keep my jealousy in check, which I still don't know if that's exactly what I'm feeling, but who am I to keep her from hanging out with her other _friends?_ They're just friends, right? Not like it matters.

"You sure?" Her voice interrupts my internal battle.

"Yeah, I'm sure," I say shortly not able to control my snappiness.

"Awesome! Oh, wait! Did you hear the news?" This catches my attention but I try to play it cool and act like I'm not paying to much attention.

"What news?" Brittany asks.

"Josh wants us to co-host the new show he pitched you! Isn't that amazing?" Does Brittany have a new show? She hasn't mentioned that to me not that she has to.

Once Sofia leaves, finally, we get back to dinner but there is a tension that wasn't there before and maybe it's in my head or maybe it's my irrational jealousy that is spreading through my entire body that does it.

"You sure you need to go to work tomorrow?" She asks.

"Yeah," I give her another short answer. I hate acting like this toward the blonde but I can't seem to stop. "So, that's Sofia. It's weird seeing her in person after watching her for the last couple of years on tv. You guys seem close," I blurt out and there it is again. Jealousy. _Get it together, Santana. She isn't your girlfriend now and she wasn't your girlfriend then. _

She tells me about Sofia and how they became good friends considering they were the only two around during the shoot that was around the same age as each other and I ask about the new show Sofia mentioned. She seems to perk up, probably because I'm saying more than one word to her and starts to tell me about Josh, the creator of 'Worlds Apart' and how he wants to have Brittany be the host for a new show.

"You would be really great, Britt," I tell her and I truly believe that. She is such a special person with so much talent.

Luckily, I pull my head out of my ass and the rest of dinner is just as enjoyable as it started. I try to fight her when the bill comes but she doesn't let me pay. She turns toward me as we stand outside in the cold waiting to get a cab. "How about that tour of the recording studio?" I'm shocked by her suggestion. I _did_ tell her I would give her a tour but I never thought it would be _now_.

After my shock wears off, I agree because who could really resist anything Brittany asks for.

When we get to the building, I show her to my office, grabbing the bottle that I keep in my desk drawer. She questions it immediately giving me a hard time before accepting a glass. Her eyes light up when we get to the main recording studio, her fingers softly grazing the many buttons taking it all in.

"Can you show me what everything does?" She asks as she takes a seat in front of the panel. I make my way closer to her and lean over her to turn it on. I sneak a glance and see her face light up making me smile.

I load up a sample she can play around with. I start to show her what each button does and as I continue to explain things she places her hands on them. I take her hand in mine and move it to one of the levers pushing it up. "So, you're adjusting this part of the songs' volume. Songs have instruments and beats and obviously the vocals, so you want them to balance so one doesn't overpower the other," I explain still keeping my hand on hers. I lean in closer to start messing with the other buttons. I'm so close to her face and I'm immediately hit with her sweet scent, a scent that floods my brain with memories of us in the past, of being so close and intimate with the girl next to me. She turns her head slowly toward mine and I'm met with those mesmerizing blue eyes, and when I start to look further into them I see a look I haven't seen in so long, seven years to be exact, a look that makes my heart race and makes me nervous at the same time, a look of lust and want and need. _Fuck, _she starts to lean in and for a second, just a second I feel myself lean in as well but before she can close the distance between us and do what I think she's going to do, I pull away. This is wrong and it _cannot _happen.

I clear my throat. "So, yeah, that's the studio. It's getting late, we should head home." The cab ride is quiet and I'm not surprised when we get to Sugar's without even realizing, my head buzzing with what just _almost _happened.

"Thanks for dinner," I tell her as she stands outside the cab. I don't move from my spot inside and honestly, I don't trust myself to get out and give her a hug goodbye. I need to just go home.

"You're welcome. I guess I'll see you at the rehearsal dinner."

"Yeah. Have a good night." And the cab drives away. I'm finally alone left with my thoughts. What the hell was that? Why did I even let her get that close? I knew it was a bad idea to go to the studio at night especially after our date, was that what it was? A date? No, it couldn't have been, it shouldn't have been. It was just two friends, two friends eating dinner and catching up. But what the fuck was that with Sofia? It couldn't have been jealousy. No. I was just looking out for Brittany, my friend. Yeah. That's what it was. But then that, what, _almost_ kiss? I knew from the second I looked into her eyes what she was doing and yet, for a second I wanted it, for a second I _almost _let it happen, for a second I felt like I was back in Paris, kissing her for the last time. _Fuck!_

When I finally get home, I strip out of my clothes and pull on my warmest pair of sweats, the weather getting colder throughout the night, before plopping flat on my bed staring at the ceiling in complete silence. I think about calling Quinn, but considering the time I choose against it. Plus, I don't even know what to tell her and I don't know if I _want_ to tell her. I just need to get through the rehearsal dinner and wedding and then Brittany will be gone and I can get back to my life.

The rest of the week leading up to the dinner goes the same, wake up, go to work, yell at someone for messing up, come home late, eat dinner, and go to bed. Oh, and avoid thinking about a certain blonde that has unexpectedly popped back into my life. It's the night of the rehearsal dinner and when I get to the venue, everything goes wrong. The tables are not what we wanted, they don't have the champagne I asked for and so I am left running around making sure the things that _can _get fixed, get fixed. So naturally, in the chaos of getting things back on track, I'm now late to the dinner _I _coordinated. By the time I make it to the private area booked just for our party, the guests are already seated. I go straight to my chair next to Sugar as the first course is served.

Throughout dinner, I try to distract myself with small talk with those around me, but my mind is on the blonde seated not too far and without even looking I feel her eyes on me. I do everything in my power to avoid those powerful blue eyes, the same blue eyes I know will crack the wall I have built around my heart. I see her leave the table and feel my body relax knowing she's not in the same room as me.

"Everything looks great, San," Sugar says. "Thank you so much. I know how much you've put into this and I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate it all."

"You're welcome, Shug," I say. "I'm going to use the restroom," I tell her before excusing myself. I make my way through the main dining area of the restaurant before finding the bathroom and push the door open. And just my luck, standing there in front of me in what looks like a compromising position, is Brittany and Sofia.

"Oh sorry, um-"

"No, it's fine!" Brittany blurts immediately taking a step back from Sofia.

"Santana, right?" Sofia says breaking the tension and I internally roll my eyes.

"Yeah. Sofia? We met the other night," I try to say without the attitude that is threatening to expose itself.

"Crazy to run into you both, again," she says with a smirk and it makes my blood start to boil. _What the hell is her problem? _"Anyways, nice to see you again, Santana. And you too, Britt. If you get done here early, give me a call. We can have a drink at my parents' place." What is she trying to suggest? My hands fist up at my sides as she gives Brittany a flirtatious smile. This feeling of anger and rage and jealousy is starting to take over me again that I don't even notice we are standing in the bathroom, alone.

"Hey, nice dinner, huh?" My head snaps to her looking into her eyes for the first time tonight.

"Uh, yeah. You look," I start before I take in her entire body swallowing thickly. "You look really good, Britt. How has your week been?" I ask.

"Thanks. You look great too, San. Um, it's been good. Well, I'll let you get to it," she says pointing to the stall behind me before walking out. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding until now before springing into action, forgetting that I came in here for a reason. Luckily, the rest of the night goes without another awkward encounter with Brittany and I rush home to get some rest considering the busy day I have ahead of me.

The wedding ceremony is breathtaking and being able to stand up there next to Sugar is such an honor. As they exchange vows, I feel a tear threatening to escape my eye and I hope to have this one day, standing in front of family and friends, exchanging vows with the love of my life.

The reception is in full swing and everyone seems to be having a good time. The music gets everyone out of there seats and I look around to see a smile on everyone's faces. It's been a couple of hours and since dinner has been served and finished, the guests are all flocking toward the many bars set up around the hall. I could _definitely _use a drink so I make my way to the furthest bar closest to the exit.

"Vodka soda, please," I ask the bartender when I feel someone slide next to me.

"Hi," the girl says through a smile.

"Hi," I smile back not wanting to be rude.

"Sorry, you just caught my eye in church earlier and I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I didn't muster the courage to come over and introduce myself. Lexi," she says extending her hand to me.

"Santana, so do you know the bride or groom?" I ask not recognizing her.

"Groom. Austin is my cousin."

"Oh, nice!" I smile. She has a gorgeous smile and seems to want to keep talking when I grab my drink and lean against the bar as she orders one for herself. "So, do you live in New York?"

"New Jersey. What about you?"

"I live in the city." The girl scoots even closer to me and I know she's flirting but I don't seem to mind as I take a sip of my drink as she does the same.

"So, Santana," she smirks. "What is it that you do?"

"I actually have my own music label."

"Well, _that's _fucking cool," she says and I giggle at her reaction. "Beautiful, talented, no way you are here alone tonight," she says trying to figure out if her flirting efforts are a waste.

"I-,"

"Hey, babe, I've been looking for you," Brittany's voice startles me as she wraps her arms around my shoulders and leans in to leave a kiss on my cheek catching me _completely _off guard. What the _actual _fuck? "Brittany," she continues extending her other arm out toward Lexi. "Santana's girlfriend. And you are?"

"Um, sorry, I didn't know you were here with someone," the poor girl mumbles before walking away with her drink in a hurry.

I finally snap back to reality and move away from her before snapping. "What the hell was that?"

"What?" She says innocently through a pout and that reaction just makes my heart race with anger more than before.

"Don't play dumb, Britt. What's your problem?" I start to raise my voice and walk away toward the double doors at a quick pace. I think I'm far enough from her when she grabs my arm to stop me.

"What?" I yell.

"I love you." My eyes pop out of my face and I feel the heat rising up my back.

"That's not funny, Brittany," I tell her my voice low and stern. She doesn't seem to care and makes her way toward me, my body tensing immediately as she leans down, hesitating for just a second before connecting our lips. The second they touch something happens, something I can't explain. Like I'm waking up for the first time and I feel my walls crashing down but no, no this can't be happening.

"What the fuck, Britt? First, you say you love me and then you kiss me? Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"Santana, I love-"

"No, don't say it. Just stop," I raise my hand pleading her with my words and with my eyes to not repeat those words again.

"Why? What are you so afraid of?" What am I afraid of? Everything! But I don't say anything. "Huh? What are you so afraid of? Because I know you feel it too, you know just as much as I do that this thing between us, is real, you knew it then and you know it now, so what are you so-" I just need her to stop talking!

"I can't fall in love with you," I finally scream. "Again. Seven years ago, you left, and I let you. I was in love with you Brittany, but I wasn't going to be the one to take you away from your dreams. It took me months to move on, to get you out of my head, to convince myself that the decision I made that morning, leaving you there in that hotel without ever telling you how I felt, was the right thing to do. And what? You think you are just going to waltz back into my life? Tell me you love me? And then what? We'd live happily ever after? You are always traveling, hell, you have a new show that starts the day after the New Year. Where does that leave me? Alone and heartbroken, because I fell in love with you, again, and you are leaving, again." I finally let it all out. I'm crying and out of breath and my heart aches.

"But, Santana, I'm in love with you, too," she says her voice desperate. But I can't. It's wrong. "We can figure out a way-"

I shake my head. "No, we can't. You see those two inside? That's a partnership. Both people present, starting a life together. I want that. I want marriage, kids, a partner who will be there at the end of a long and shitty day, not someone traveling more months out of the year than they are home," I can't control the tears anymore. "Please, if you love me, let me go," I beg and walk away, not able to stand there looking at her anymore. My heart can't take the pain any longer.

I push through the bathroom doors and lock myself in a stall before breaking down. I've never felt this kind of pain before and it feels like my heart is breaking into a million pieces.

"S?" I hear a soft voice come from outside the stall and I immediately know who it is. "San," she says again and I unlock the door before collapsing in her arms.

"Hey, sh, hey it's okay," she says stroking my back and just holding me while I break down. It takes a while for me to calm down and when I feel strong enough, I pull away from my best friend.

"Let's get you cleaned up, we have a wedding to get back to," she says through a small smile. She knows I'm hurting and even though she may not know the details, she's been around me long enough to know when something big is going on. But she doesn't question it and I love her even more for it.

I don't know how I make it through the rest of the night without having a complete meltdown, but I do. I wake up the next morning with a pounding headache from crying myself to sleep and the alcohol I chose to consume doesn't help the situation. I pull the covers over my head to stop the light coming in through my window. As I start to drift back into a fitful sleep, my phone rings from the table next to me. I ignore it at first, hoping that whoever it is will realize it is too early in the morning and won't call back. But of course, that doesn't happen and it starts to ring again. I lean over to see who it could possibly be and see Sugar's name appear on my screen. Nope, not now. I ignore it again. A few minutes pass by and I think she got the message that I'm either still asleep or don't want to talk right now and turn over pulling the covers up and over my face once again. My eyes flutter shut when again, I am disrupted with the annoying sound of my ringtone.

"Ugh! Go away!" I yell to myself and grab my phone. Great, now _Quinn _is calling. Why can't everyone just leave me alone?

I turn my phone on silent and drag myself out of bed. I jump back in shock when I see my reflection in the bathroom mirror. I look like shit. Whatever, I splash some water on my face and brush my teeth before slowly dragging my feet to the kitchen to make myself some coffee. I don't even bother changing out my sweats, there is no way in hell that I am leaving my house today nor do I plan on seeing anyone.

The next couple of days go the same. I don't even have the energy to go to work so Monday morning I text my assistant to let her know that I won't be coming into the office until at least Wednesday and that if there is any problem then she needs to figure out a way to handle it. Luckily, I don't have anyone with studio time until the end of this week but even if I did, I don't think I could get myself to leave this house and interact with other people.

Why did Brittany have to go and ruin everything? I was surprised to see her in the first place but considering the way we left things all those years ago, I actually felt like we were getting back to that place of being good friends. And who knows, maybe this time we could've actually kept in touch. But no, she had to go and kiss me, tell me she loves me, that she is _in _love with me.

I make it to Wednesday locked in my cave, away from the outside world when Quinn comes over pounding her fist against my front door. I had given my doorman _strict_ instructions to not let anyone up, I'm going to need to have a serious talk with him. The thought of ignoring her crosses my mind but when I hear my name through the door, the tone of her voice serious, I know that she won't be going away anytime soon.

"What?" I snap, **opening** the door. My harsh tone doesn't deter Quinn in the slightest as she continues to stand in my doorway hip popped, arms crossed and face stern.

"Don't _what_ me, Santana. You haven't answered my 50 calls or my 100 texts I've sent, you've ignored Sugar, you haven't shown up to work, your assistant has _no _idea where you are, so I repeat, do _not _what me, understand?"

Great, I have 'momma' Quinn, not something I'm interested in.

"Fine, sorry, come in, Quinn," I sigh rolling my eyes.

We move to the couch and I grab the remote and press play on the show I was watching.

"Are you serious? You're just going to sit there and ignore me? Stop acting like a child. Bella is more mature than you," she challenging says.

"Whatever, what's up?" I say sarcastically.

"S," she says her face softening. "Talk to me. I get you wanted space and I've given you some but it's been days since I found you in the bathroom. Please, just talk to me."

I sit there in silence, my hands playing with the strings of my sweater. "Did something happen with you and Brittany?"

I shrug my shoulders, not answering with words. "Honey, I know it has something to do with Brittany. Sugar said she left the wedding early and never came back."

"I'm angry," I start and once I start I won't be able to stop. "No, I'm fucking pissed off. Who does she think she is? Huh? Telling me she loves me and all. It's bullshit. And you know what is even worse? I'm in fucking love with her too. But it's not that simple, it's not black and white. We aren't kids. You know? I like you, do you like me? Okay, great let's be together. No, Quinn. No."

"I don't understand," she says.

"She saw me talking to some girl at the wedding and completely bulldozed us telling the girl that she's my girlfriend so I completely freaked on her and then she has the audacity to kiss me. Oh and then tell me she loves me and that we should be together."

"But, isn't that what you've always wanted?" I snap my head at her.

"No! I wanted it, seven years ago, but I moved on," I say and I know it's a lie. "It's not fair for her to say that and then leave. Like, what does she expect from me? To follow her? To wait for her? To see her once every few months?"

"What did she say?"

"Nothing, I didn't let her say anything. I told her," I start as the tears fall down my face, going from angry to sad in seconds. "I told her if she loves me to let me go."

Quinn immediately wraps her arm around me, holding me as I cry. "I'm sorry, S."

She stays with me the rest of the day, comforting me, letting me cry, scream or sit without talking.

The next morning I wake up and something snaps in my head. I can't keep going like this. I can't risk everything I've worked so hard to build for some girl, granted Brittany isn't just some girl. So, I get up, take a shower, put makeup on and get myself ready for work. Life must go on. Life without Brittany _must _go on.

**Hope you guys like it! REVIEW! :P**


	8. Baby LP

**Took a little longer to write this part. It's a long one! Hope you guys enjoy! :P**

**Baby LP**

_May 2026 - Brittany POV_

It's a little after eight in the evening when I finally walk through the front door of the house I've shared with my beautiful wife for the last two years. It's always my favorite part of the day when I get to come home, relax and spend time with Santana. The second I walk through the door, my ears fill with the most beautiful sound, the sound of my wife singing. She must not hear me come home and when I reach the kitchen, the sight I'm met with me stops me in my place as I stand and watch her slowly sway her hips to the tune playing through the speakers as she sings along, stirring something on the stove.

_She tells him ooh love_

_No one's ever gonna hurt you, love_

_I'm gonna give you all of my love_

_Nobody matters like you_

I'm mesmerized by her raspy voice and take the time to watch her so relaxed, so happy, a sight that has been lacking from the brunette for the last few months. The day we decided to have a baby, to start a family was one of the best days of my life, the other being our wedding day, of course. We knew it would be difficult and would take time to get pregnant but we didn't let that get in our way.

The next day we began our extensive research, things like picking a donor, conception options and who would carry our precious cargo. The decision of who was to carry was an easy one, Santana shyly expressing how much she had dreamed to have the feeling of life growing inside of her. It was so cute I just couldn't deny her that right, and the idea of taking care of a pregnant Santana, seeing our child grow inside of my wife, well that was just a sight I couldn't pass up. Picking a donor seemed to be challenging. There was so much to consider, things like what features we wanted to their health history. It was quickly decided by my wife that the donor share at least _some_ similar traits as me. After looking at what felt like hundreds of profiles, we finally chose our donor. It felt like a big moment, one of the biggest decisions of our lives together and it all lied in this one decision.

Shortly after, the doctor appointments started. Santana's first appointment went well and all her tests showed that she was fit to carry our child. We decided to go with insemination rather than IVF, not wanting Santana to have to go through that process. The first insemination, we were both giddy as we sat hands clasped tightly sitting in the waiting room for our names to be called. The insemination went as best as it could and we went home and melted into each other's arms, sitting on the couch hoping, wishing that the life we planned on bringing into this world to love and care for, was being created under our embrace.

The two week waiting period was the most excruciating two weeks we have _ever _experienced. Every day, my eyes were glued on Santana to watch for any sign, any indication that the procedure worked, that she was carrying our child. Any time she would say she was tired or that she didn't feel well, I would watch and hope and pray that we were the lucky ones, the lucky ones to get pregnant on our first try. I could tell she was keeping her excitement at bay, trying to not get ahead of herself to hopefully lessen the disappointment if we were to find out it didn't work. After the blood work, our doctor told us she would call soon with the results. We sat on the couch, eyes glued on the phone willing it to ring. Because this was our first round, we made sure to clear our schedules so we could be with each other to celebrate the good news or to console each other with bad news. When the phone finally rang, I saw Santana hesitate to grab the phone. Noticing her shaky hands, I went to answer it myself, putting the call on speaker so we can both hear it at the same time.

Turns out we were _not _one of the lucky ones. The treatment had not worked and Santana was not pregnant. We were still hopeful knowing this was _only _our first try. We spent the rest of the day enjoying the time we had off, lounging around the house, cooking dinner and finishing it off with a bath.

Our hope started to twindle, and Santana's confidence was crumbling as we continued with the procedures and time and time again we were met with the same news: _not pregnant._

It's been almost nine months since we started and six inseminations later, we are still in the same place we started. After the fourth failed procedure, I noticed Santana start to slip away, slip away from the happy person I've grown to love, slip away from me and her friends, completely drowning herself in work. My wife, my beautiful _strong _wife bottles up all her feelings, all her emotions and it's been so hard for me to get her to open up, to tell me what she's thinking or how she's feeling. A week before our last insemination, I knew I had to get her to talk. Her eyes were empty and tired and I desperately needed her to have faith, to keep the faith that this is meant for us and will happen when it's meant to be.

_Flashback - 3 Weeks Before_

"_Baby?" I call through the living room. I had finished a ten hour day in the office, finalizing edits for my first project since opening my own production company. Working long hours has never been a problem for me until recently. Every hour that I'm away I think about Santana. Think about how she's doing, what she's doing, if she's hiding in the bathroom stall at work crying like I know she's been doing for months or if she's slipped away from the office to come home and sit in complete silence, staring emotionless at the wall. _

_When I don't get a response, my shoulders slump and I'm prepared to see her in the same spot I've found her so many times in the last two months. But the living room is empty, no sign of my wife so I continue my path toward our bedroom. The bed is perfectly made as it is every morning and I'm happy to see that she hasn't slipped under the covers so early. The light threatening to push through the small crack of our bathroom door catches my attention. I quietly push the door enough to peek my head through to find Santana relaxing in our tub, water filled with bubbles, the smooth skin of her shoulders barely showing as her head rests back eyes closed. I haven't seen her this peaceful in so long and I take advantage of the fact that she hasn't heard me come in to watch her, to take in her features, she really is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Santana's beauty is so much more than the physical things. Sure, anyone with eyes can tell you how gorgeous my wife is but it's the subtle things that make my heart burst with love. Like how the skin around her eyes crinkle when she laughs at something, or how she furrows her brows when she is deep in thought taking her bottom lip between her teeth. Those little things, those little quirks, those are what make her so beautiful. And now, the way the bubbles move around her body as her chest rises and falls in her relaxed state is something I love to watch. _

_Not wanting to startle her I open the door a little more hoping she'll hear me coming through the door and it seems to do the trick. She flutters her eyes open and lifts her head. "Hi babe," she says with a warm smile, a smile that has been missing from her face for so long and I let out a breath of relief seeing it grace her face. _

"_Relaxing bath?" I ask her sitting on the edge of the tub and bending enough to leave a sweet kiss on her plump lips. She hums into the kiss nodding._

"_How did edits go?" She asks. Even with everything I know she is dealing with internally, my wife never fails to ask about my day and show that she is still here. _

"_It went okay. I was hoping to get them all done but looks like we're gonna need more time," I tell her. "Hungry?"  
_

"_A little," she says. Another thing that has taken a back seat is her appetite and I try with all my power to remind her in any way I can to make sure she keeps a healthy diet up, never knowing when treatment will work. _

_After dinner we take comfort on our couch, my arm wrapped protectively around the small frame of my wife. "San," I say softly not wanting to startle her or make her feel like I'm forcing any conversation with her. She tilts her head to acknowledge me. "Talk to me, baby," I say simply and she knows, if the look on her face is any indication, she knows what I want to talk about but she doesn't speak right away._

"_I'm worried about you, San," I try again. I feel her body tense in my hold and worry that I'm pushing her. _

"_Britt," she sighs tiredly. "I just," she starts to say but stops herself. I give her a minute to continue but when I feel her body start to shake in my arms I know she's crying. _

"_Sh, it's okay. Let it out, baby," I tell her lovingly and let her cry. _

"_I just feel like a failure," she says through her tears and my heart breaks. My perfectionist wife, always expected to excel with everything she does. "I've done everything right, we've done everything right. I just don't know why it hasn't worked?" She continues to cry._

"_But San, this isn't something we can control. Look at me," I say lifting her chin up so she can look into my eyes, so every word can be heard. "You're right. We've done everything, you've done everything but this is so much bigger than you and me. You are not a failure Santana Lopez-Pierce, you hear me? You are perfect and I know it's going to happen for us. We just have to keep the faith, baby. Please, keep the faith," I plead my own tears starting to form as I look at my wife for the first time appearing so small and broken. _

"_Keep the faith," she repeats after me. "Britt," she says so softly I questions if she actually spoke. "I think after this one, I want to take a break." And my heart sinks. But it's her body and maybe a break would be good for her, for us. _

"_Okay, San. If that's what you want. After the next one, we'll take a break. I love you so much, Santana. You have no idea how much," I tell her and connect our lips, kissing her so passionately, hoping she can feel my love, hoping to send her my strength through our lips. _

_When we part, her eyes slowly open. "I love you too, Britt. More than I've ever loved before." _

My smile takes over my entire face as I continue to watch her dance and sing, finishing the last verse before I can't take being away from her anymore. I slide in behind her, pushing my body flush against her back and wrapping my arms around her slim waist protectively. Her body jumps in mine, relaxing immediately. I lower my head to leave a gentle kiss against her exposed shoulder.

"I didn't hear you come home," she says before turning off the stove and turning in my arms.

"I just walked in but I was able to catch the end of your brilliant performance," I cheekily say with a smirk as I see a light blush spread across her cheeks. "You would think that you're into music or something," I tease her keeping my arms strongly around her lower back.

"Something like that," she jokes back.

"What are you making? It smells so good," I say now that I get a whiff of what's stirring in the pot.

"Spanish rice and fajitas," she smiles leaving a kiss on my cheek before turning back to the stove. "Want to shower before dinner?"

"Yeah, I'll be quick," I tell her giving her another kiss before skipping to our room.

I turn the water on before stripping out of my clothes. The warm water on my skin feels good, especially after a long day. My thoughts go back to Santana, another kind of warmth coating my skin at the image of her looking so happy, so content. Considering tomorrow is her doctor appointment after yet _another_ dreadful two week waiting period, it's a definite surprise to see her in such good spirits. I move as quickly as possible so I can go back to her, rinsing the remaining soap off my body before drying off and slipping into a much more comfortable outfit.

"Good timing," Santana says as she brings the food to the table, two plates already set with a glass of wine for me which I find odd at first. Ever since we decided to start a family, Santana has stopped drinking and to support my wife, so did I.

"Why the wine glass, San?" I ask her, taking my seat at the table.

"I know you've been working long hours, just thought it would be nice for you to enjoy a glass," she shrugs. "I know you stopped drinking for me but one glass won't hurt," she chuckles.

"How's the script coming?" She asks after filling our plates with the delicious food she prepared,

"Good! We're tweaking some parts to have two endings prepared. We're not sure which one we're gonna go with yet," I tell her taking my first bite and I moan at the taste. I didn't realize how hungry I was until now. "So good, San!"

"Thanks, baby. Did you have time to eat anything earlier?"

"We had some food delivered but I didn't eat as much as I should've. How was your day?"

"It was good. Really good," she says vaguely as she wipes her mouth.

"Yeah? Why's that?" I ask wondering if her good mood has anything to do with her day.

"I don't know, it was just a good day. One of my artists sold out her tour so that's creating good buzz for the label especially because we plan on starting her second album soon."

"That's awesome!"

Her mood stays the same through dinner and I forgot how much I missed her cute laugh. After dinner, I clean up the kitchen, insisting that she go relax on the couch until I finish up. I make her favorite green tea, coffee being another thing she had given up which posed a harder task than any and join her in the living room sitting next to her curled up body.

"Thanks, Britt," she says and I lean over to kiss her on her forehead.

I hesitate to ask about tomorrow's appointment in fear that I'll ruin the mood but after sitting in comfortable silence for some time, Santana sipping at her tea and my fingers stroking her hair, I decide to bring it up.

"Ready for tomorrow?" I ask but she doesn't respond immediately. "San?"

"Huh? Ye-yeah. I am," she says and I don't push further. "I have something for you," she says breaking the silence this time. I see her disappear down the hall before returning with a gift bag. I give her a questioning look which she returns with a soft smile.

"You know it was my birthday months ago, right?" I tease her.

"Yeah."

"And our anniversary is like months away," I continue.

"Yeah. Just open it, Britt," she says and I can tell her patience is running thin.

With my curiosity spiking, I remove the tissue paper and reach my hand in the bag to see what she bought me. I shoot her a look and see her eyes beaming, before returning to the task at hands. Inside is another item wrapped in black tissue paper and by the weight of it, it feels like clothing. _Odd, _I think to myself as I rip through it. It's a plain white t-shirt and I am so confused because the item in my hands and the look on her face do _not _match.

"You got me a t-shirt?" I question my wife holding the bundle of clothing in my hands trying to figure out what I was missing.

She sighs and rolls her eyes, "Open the shirt, Britt."

I unfold the shirt and see something written on the front, my breath catching in my throat at the words. I read it again just to make sure I'm reading it correctly my head starting to spin as my eyes shoot between the shirt and my wife, smile so wide I swear I've never seen something like it.

"San?" My voice waivers as I say her name not able to form any other words.

"Yeah," she says simply.

"San," I repeat because I _really _don't know what else to say as I stare at the words, trying to wrap my head around it.

_I Love My Two Mommies_

"But, when?" I say mindlessly trying to understand, repeatedly reading those words to make sure I'm not dreaming, that this is real life.

"I called to see if they could move up the appointment to this morning. I got the call this afternoon," she says and her voice shaking with happiness.

"Holy shit! You're pregnant," I say my brain finally starting to work. "Oh my god!" I leap toward my wife, cautious of her fragile state as I wrap her in my arms and squeezing her as tight as I can, peppering her face with kisses and love, and oh my god, she's pregnant, it's happening, we're going to have a baby.

"Yeah, babe, we're having a baby." Hearing those words come from her mouth is everything I have ever wished and hoped to hear. The tears start to flow and I just can't believe it. "I love you so much, Britt."

"I love you. So fucking much," I say before crashing our lips kissing her as I've never kissed her before. I kneel in front of her wanting to kiss her flat stomach wanting to be close to our baby. "And I love you so much already Baby LP."

/

_September 2026_

Santana's first trimester is rough, to say the least. Not even two weeks after we found out she was pregnant, Santana began to experience all the symptoms they say you _could_ encounter. She was constantly tired, her boobs were sore and food became the enemy. This kid was draining her and they weren't even born yet. Working became challenging for her which was not something that she took well. Being the workaholic my wife is, mixed with her stubbornness, it was difficult to keep her away from the office. I would often call and get her assistant who would tell me Santana was resting her eyes, most likely either to regain some energy or to settle her nauseousness.

But she made it through and we've officially reached the second trimester, 18 weeks to be exact. It's crazy how quickly the time goes, well at least I think so. If I was to ask Santana, she would tell me that the first trimester felt like an entire year. As the weeks went by, I found myself staring at my wife every chance I got, staring at her glow, staring at her body to look for any kind of change, any kind of real _physical_ sign that our baby was safe and warm growing inside of her. I kissed her stomach every night, taking in her new curves and admiring the slight bump that was starting to form and as each week passed I eagerly waited for the moment that I would be able to feel our precious gift move and kick under my touch. Santana had started to feel small flutters recently but none strong enough for me to experience, but I knew I had to be patient and knew when that time came it would be one of the most special moments of this journey so far.

I take a moment out of my busy day to call my wife, as I have done every day since finding out. "Hey, Britt."

"Hi, babe. How's my little bean doing today?" I ask not able to contain the smile that threatens to take over my face.

"They're good," she says her voice dripping with love and adoration as it always does when we talk about our unborn child.

"And how's my baby mama?"

"She's good," she says through a giggle. "Hungry."

"What's for lunch?" I ask. Another fun fact of the second trimester is the return of Santana's appetite. I keep waiting for her to send me out of the house on the hunt for some odd thing at the most random hour but that has not happened yet. Basically, food maker her happy, any kind of food.

"You," she husks.

My eyes bug out at her forwardness and the fact that I'm at work in a _not_ so private area. "Uh," I start to say before she cuts me off.

"Why don't you stop by and fulfill my appetite, baby," she seductively says and I know that tone. I could detect that tone from a mile away. My wife is horny, correction, my _pregnant _wife is horny and if there is one thing I have learned during this process and seeing a pregnant Quinn is to never _ever _deny your pregnant wife what they want.

"Um, now?" I ask questioning her timing. It's one in the afternoon and we're both kind of stuck at work.

"Yes, now. What if I told you I'm already home," she purrs. "Naked."

"What? Why are you home? Is everything okay?" I start to ask completely ignoring the _naked _comment.

"Yeah, Britt. I'm good. I left the office early and was hoping you would be able to sneak away for a little and join me."

This woman is serious and I don't even think twice about my decision. "Be home in 15 minutes."

"Make it ten and I'll let you do whatever you want to me," she says and _fuck_ I'm so turned on already. She knows exactly what her words do to me and hangs up. I practically run out of the office, letting the first person I see that I'm stepping out for lunch.

I can't move fast enough, even offering the cab driver extra money to get me home as soon as possible. I'm already out of breath by the time I barge through the front door and make a b-line to our bedroom only to be met with the most mouth-watering sight I've ever seen in my entire life.

Lying there in the middle of our king sized bed is my wife, my gorgeous pregnant very naked wife, legs spread with one hand cupping her supple breast and the other making small circles against her exposed center. Her hooded eyes barely open and make eye contact with me as she moans taking her bottom lip between her teeth and I just about collapse right there.

"You took too long," she whimpers not once stopping her movement between her legs and part of me wants to stand there watching Santana pleasure herself but the other part can't wait to replace her fingers with my tongue, licking until she begs me to stop. I finally snap into action, ripping the clothes off my body in record time before I'm on the bed with her, immediately reaching for her wrist to remove her hand from its spot between her legs, bringing her fingers to my lips, taking them into my mouth and sucking them slowly. That seems to turn her on even more, if that's even possible, her eyes turning a shade darker.

"_Oh god," _she groans licking her lips. "Please, baby."

"Please what, San?"

Her breaths are heavy and she's panting, already looking like she is about to explode. "_Ugh, ple-please _just fuck me already." And any plans of teasing her go out the window. Hearing her desperation I lower my hand, grazing her ever-growing baby bump before plunging my finger into her more than eager center. Her hips rut upon the sudden intrusion and I give her a second to adjust before thrusting in and out of her. Her arm wraps around my neck to pull my body flush against her. I reach out my idle hand to rest on the mattress next to her face, making sure that I don't squish her stomach and finally connect our lips in a heated kiss, our tongues fighting for dominance as we explore each other's mouths. I know from her sounds and the fact that she was already dripping when I walked in that she won't last long. But before I take her to her limits, I want to taste her, no, _need _to taste her. Her scent and taste have always been my favorite but ever since she got pregnant, she tastes even sweeter and I can't get enough. I leave one last kiss against her lips before slowly making my way down her body, making sure to leave a path with my lips stretching across every inch of her skin. I linger just a little longer against her protruding stomach, just to remind her how thankful I am for her and for carrying our child before finally reaching my desired destination. I give her center a small tentative lick before wrapping my lips against her sensitive nerves as my fingers continue to build her up with each thrust.

"_Yes," _she screams. She has become so much more sensitive since finding out she was expecting and it is the best thing in the world. She's described her orgasms as even more powerful than she has ever experienced before. "_Fuck, _that feels so-_oh," _she husks through a shaky breath. "So good, baby."

It doesn't take much more before she is exploding all over my tongue as I continue to lick at her, helping her ride it out. When I feel her breathing start to return to normal, I remove my fingers and make my way back up her body, leaving yet another tender kiss against her bump.

"Mm," she hums looking disheveled and satisfied. I lean my head against my hand on my side as my eyes trace over her naked form, my hand taking its rightful spot on her stomach, stroking it softly. "Wow."

I give her a victorious smile and she just rolls her eyes at me playfully, sensing my cockiness.

"Excited for tomorrow?" I break the silence.

"Mhmm, we finally get to find out if we're having a boy or a girl," she says as we get lost in each other's eyes. "Britt?"

"Hm?"

"I'm hungry," she says shyly. I can't help but chuckle at her cuteness.

"Let's get you some lunch, honey," I tell her lovingly. I make her a sandwich, making sure to add extra mayo, absolutely no mustard and a pickle spear on a separate plate so the juices don't soak into the bread. By then she has already slipped into some boy shorts and a shirt that doesn't cover much of her upper body before sitting crossed legged on the couch, patiently waiting for her lunch.

"Thanks, Britt," she says and I swear I can practically see the drool wanting to fall from her mouth at the sight of food. I sit with her for a little before kissing her and heading back to the office.

The next morning, after coaxing Santana out of bed with some herbal tea and a special breakfast, we are dressed and in a cab on our way to our doctor appointment. Walking hand in hand, we make our way toward the front to check in before sitting in the waiting area. I peek a glance at Santana, one hand still entangled with mine while the other rubs small circles around her swollen bump, a soft smile on her face. I love seeing her so content, so relaxed, so happy. It's not long before the nurse calls our name and shows us to our exam room. The nurse does her usual thing with Santana before leaving us alone, waiting for our doctor.

"Open up!" I joke grabbing one of those sticks and moving toward her mouth.

"Britt, don't play with that. They'll know," she tries to say without laughing.

"They'll know that I took one of the million popsicle sticks sitting there?" I tease her with a smirk. She just rolls her eyes at my silliness. Before I can mess with anything else our doctor pops through the door.

"My favorite couple! How are you two doing?" Dr. Robinson says. It took us a while to find a doctor we liked and one that we felt comfortable enough with.

"We're good, Doc. Excited to see our little bean and hear their heartbeat. That's happening today right?" I ask excitedly.

"Yes. We're gonna get to all that fun stuff today. And how are you feeling, Santana?"

"Good. Much better with the nauseousness. It only really hits if I eat something heavy late at night and sometimes early in the morning but it's much more manageable than before. Those first few months kicked my ass," she sighs.

"Good. Any movement?"

"A little. They feel like small flutters nothing too big yet but I can definitely feel something moving around in there," Santana says through a smile as Dr. Robinson lifts her shirt and starts to exam her full belly.

"Shouldn't be long until the baby really starts to get moving in there. You should be feeling it soon, Brittany," she smiles toward me. "Weight looks good, blood pressure looks good. You guys ready to hear the heartbeat and see your baby?" We both nod our heads anxiously waiting for this part of the appointment.

"Okay, Santana this will be a little cold," she preps her before squeezing some gel on her stomach. She grabs the probe and starts to move it around looking for our little human. "There they are!" She finally says. I'm standing next to Santana's head, her fingers laced with mine as we keep our eyes glued to the screen. And there they are, cute little squishy mini human, tucked away safe inside my wife. It really is a miracle and my eyes start to tear, Santana in a similar position. Dr. Robinson touches a button on the machine and then the sweetest sound fills our ears. "And that is your baby's heartbeat."

"Wow," Santana breathes out.

"Wow," I whisper as well not able to form any other words. "That's our baby, San," I say leaning my head closer to her as her eyes shine with awe.

"Healthy heart beat. And looks like they are in a good position for me to identify the sex. Do you guys still want to find out?"

"Hell yeah we do!" My wife says so eager to find out. It was decided way before we were even pregnant that we would find out the sex of our baby and I didn't even try to argue with Santana about this decision.

"Ladies?" She says and I squeeze Santana's hand harder in anticipation of the news. "You are going to be mom's to a beautiful baby boy."

Holy shit. We're having a boy! I look down at my wife who now has tears flowing freely down her face.

"A boy, Britt," I just nod with a stupid grin plastered on my face before closing the distance and joining our lips.

"A boy," I breathe against her full lips wiping away her tears. My heart feels like it's going to explode with happiness, happiness at the news that our baby is healthy and growing.

/

_February 2027_

With Santana's due date a week away, the tension in our house has grown significantly. Today is my last day of work until after the baby comes and luckily for me it didn't take much convincing to have Santana work from home the last month.

On my way home I stop by the diner around the corner from our building and pick up some chili and a sandwich for Santana with my phone in hand as it's been for the last week just in case Santana calls. I'm prepared, more prepared than I've ever been for anything. So prepared that I think even Santana is surprised. She's always been the more organized one in our relationship but when it comes to our baby I've taken charge. We have the hospital bag packed and waiting by the front door, I know the quickest route to the hospital and if that happens to be blocked, I then have the second and third fastest routes memorized since we recently purchased a big family car. The car seat is installed, checked and double checked for proper placement and safeness.

The house is quiet which doesn't worry me. Knowing Santana, she's probably taking a nap somewhere and sure enough, when I walk further into the house I see my pregnant wife in all her glory laid out on the couch with a cute infant resting on her belly. At the sight of Liam sleeping next to her, I know Quinn must be around somewhere and right on queue, she comes out of the bathroom.

"Hey, B," she says while giving me a hug.

"Hey, Q. She been asleep long?"

"No, the little guy fell asleep first. I think his warmth put her to sleep. I swear she practically knocked out mid-conversation," she chuckles and I look back at Santana curled up with Liam. "Should we wake her up?"

"The smell of the food will do the trick," I tell her and smirk walking over to the kitchen to pour the chili into a bowl and plating the sandwich before making my way back to the living room. "Watch this," I say and set the food on the table in front of my wife. Quinn and I just watch as Santana starts to stir, caught between a dream-state and a pang of hunger I know she is feeling right now at the smell of fresh food. Her eyes slowly open and her head twists trying to follow the scent all while keeping a protective hold around Liam.

"Hey baby," I greet her softly when her eyes finally open.

"Hey. I smell food," she says and I hear Quinn start to giggle from her spot next to me.

"I got you some goodies," I tell her and Quinn quickly stands to move Liam off her body so she can sit up without waking the little boy.

"I should head out while this one is asleep," Quinn says leaning down and kissing Santana on her cheek that's currently filled with food. "Bye, sweetie. Let me know if you guys need anything."

"Thanks for keeping her company, Q," I tell her and walk her to the door.

"Good?" I ask Santana who hasn't taken a breath while shoveling food into her mouth as fast as she can. She nods her cheeks looking like chipmunks and I can't help but laugh at her cuteness. "You're cute."

"You mean fat," she says once she's finally taken a second from eating. "I'm sure I turn you on so much with my huge body and food probably staining parts of my shirt that I can't even see thanks to the size of my stomach."

"Cute," I tell her again leaning in to give her a kiss on her pouty lips. "Crazy, but still cute," I tease her.

The rest of the day is spent lounging around the house and making sure the nursery is set up. I feel like I've been washing baby clothes for the last week, this kid already has more clothes than I do and he's not even born yet. After dinner, I offer a very tired Santana a foot rub while we watch tv.

"That feels good, Britt," she moans as I rub a particularly sensitive spot under her foot. "How do they look?" She asks.

"They're not bad, honey," I tell her answering her question about the swelling.

"Don't lie to me, Britt. I know you probably can get away with it since I haven't been able to see my feet for over a month but I can feel how swollen they are."

"Promise you, babe. They're not bad. I'm sure it feels worse because of all the weight you're carrying around," I say and immediately regret my choice of words. Santana immediately starts to weep.

"I know I'm fat, okay? You do-don't have to rub it in," she starts saying through her tears.

"No no no, honey, that's not what I meant, San-"

"No, I get it. I'm fat and you aren't attracted to me anymore and probably will never want to have sex with me again, and-"

I cut her rambling off by maneuvering myself so I am eye level with her and crash my lips against hers. "Santana Lopez-Pierce, _that's _just crazy. I've never found you more attractive in my life, you hear me? What you're doing for us, for our family is the most special thing in the entire world. And trust me, baby, you are _not _fat." Her glossy brown eyes look up at me and I think my words start to help as she calms down. "I love you, you crazy," I smile at her leaving one last kiss on her cheek before moving back down to her feet.

The week of her due date Santana's mom comes to New York to stay with us and help around the house. I've never been more thankful for her mom than at this moment. Most of my days are spent with a very uncomfortable and impatient Santana. Her due date comes and goes and still no baby and Santana grows more irritated each day. A week later and Santana is on a mission to have this baby.

"Dates, I need dates," she demands as she waddles as best she can into the living room. Despite the freezing cold weather of New York, my wife walks around our house in boy shorts and a tank top that barely stretches over her belly button, our son hanging out freely.

"Huh?"

"Brittany, dates. I need you to go to the store and get dates. Oh and pineapple. I was doing some research and it can help induce labor. So, please, just get me some dates!" She says and waddles back to our bedroom. I stand there shocked at her tone and look toward my mother-in-law who is standing there giggling.

"Well? You heard her," she laughs.

"Ugh, fine. Do we need anything else while I'm out?"

"No, honey. I have everything for dinner. Why don't you stop and get some coffee for yourself? You've been cooped up in this house. Get some air, regroup and come back to your pregnant wife. I'll watch over her," she says in her motherly tone.

"Okay. Thanks, Maribel. Can I bring you anything?"

"Don't worry about me. But you might want to leave before she walks back in here and sees you still standing here."

I bare the cold and find the items she asks for before wandering toward the coffee cart to grab a latte for myself before getting home. As much as I'm enjoying the outside world, being away from Santana for more than a few minutes gives me anxiety.

"I love you!" She shouts the second I walk through the door, grabbing the items from my hand and immediately shoving dates in her mouth. Her mom starts to peel the pineapple and I just sit there and watch Santana devour dates one by one.

The next day and still no sign of Baby LP.

"I've had spicy food, I've pumped my body with pineapples and dates, I've had an acupuncturist come to the house, I've exercised, well as best I can with this human stuck inside of me, and nothing's worked!" She sighs from her seat next to me on the couch, her legs on my lap as I rub up and down her calves.

"I'm sorry, babe. I wish I could help you," I tell her. I feel so helpless and seeing her in this condition sucks.

"There is one thing I haven't tried," she says leaning up on her elbows as best she can.

"What's that?"

"Sex."

"Uh," I say feeling a little uncomfortable at the fact that we are talking about our sex life in front of her mom. Granted, she's in the kitchen preparing lunch but still.

"San," I whisper.

"What? My mom knows we have sex. We're married, Britt," she says nonchalantly. "Well? You going to help me or what?"

Oh, she's serious! "Um, I guess if it's going to help."

"Good answer. Bedroom, now," she tells me as she tries her best to sit up and lift herself off the couch.

"Mom, we'll be in our room," she shouts as she waddles past the kitchen and down the hall, her mom giving me a knowing smirk which makes my face heat up in embarrassment.

"I could only get my underwear down to my knees," she says standing there half naked. "Let's go, Pierce. I need to have this baby. Need your A game."

"First of all, it's Lopez-Pierce. And second of all, I always bring my A game," I smirk at her as I pull her underwear off the rest of the way and help her remove each ankle one by one.

I turn around to pull my shirt off when I hear my name but the tone in her voice is different. "Britt? Um, I think my water just broke," she says and my eyes widen as I look between her legs and sure enough it did, either that or she just poured a bunch of water which is impossible because we're in our room and there isn't water around and-

"Brittany!"

"Oh. Oh! Oh my god. Okay, it's happening. Um, hold on let me get your mom," I say frantically as I sprint out of the room and slide into the kitchen.

"Maribel, it's happening. Her water just broke!"

"Okay, calm down. Everything is fine. You have your bag packed, right?" I nod. "Okay, where is it? I'll grab it and get the car running. You go to your wife and help her. Clean her up and get her into clean clothes and we'll get going."

"Right. Okay."

"Brittany, sweetie. Everything is going to be fine. You guys are going to be moms," she says softly and her voice calms my nerves.

"We're going to be moms," I say through a big smile.

With some effort, we make our way to the hospital and get checked in rather quickly. They start Santana on an IV and the contractions start. I do my best to help her through them, practicing her breathing from our birthing classes. When we check in, the doctor determines that Santana is only 4 centimeters dilated and recommend we wait until she is a little further along before giving her an epidural. That piece of information does not go well with my wife who's pain and discomfort is growing.

"That was a bad one, Britt," she says after leaning her head back, hair matted against her sweaty forehead.

"I know, honey, but you're doing great," I tell her trying to encourage her through the entire process.

"How are you two doing?" Her mom asks as she walks back into the room.

"I'm okay. Just wish they could give me drugs already. This shit hurts," Santana says to her mom.

"You're dad's are on their way from the airport. They should be here soon," she tells us and that puts a smile on my wife's face.

The minute her mom leaves Santana curls up squeezing my hand until there is no longer feeling in it, trying to breathe through another contraction.

"Breathe, baby, breathe. Good, breathe with me," I talk her through it again and she makes it through another contraction. The doctor comes in and tells us that things have definitely moved along and everything looks good. She's now 6 cm dilated and the doctor orders an epidural, the relief on my wife's face evident.

Three hours later and Santana is barely at 7 cm but luckily the drugs kicked in and she is doing slightly better with the contractions. Our dad's come by to check up on us once they get in from the airport and that seems to ease Santana a little. She always was daddy's little girl.

"Santana, how are you feeling?"

"Tired," she says as the doctor goes to check on her progress.

"You're almost there. Once you hit 8 cm things can start moving quickly. You should try to get some rest until then," she says before updating her chart and leaving us to ourselves.

"Want to close your eyes for a bit, San?" I ask as I rub her hair knowing that always keeps her calm.

"Yeah. I should try," she says her eyes heavy. "Don't leave, okay?"

"Wouldn't dream of it, baby," I tell her and leave a kiss to her damp forehead.

She's able to rest for twenty minutes when a rather big contraction wakes her.

"They're getting longer," I tell her trying to remember everything we learned in our birthing class. Right on queue, the nurse comes in to once again check Santana.

"Looks like your baby is coming!" She says excitedly and Santana squeezes my hand.

"I'm scared, Britt," she says out of breath as I look between her and the monitors beeping around us.

"Don't be. You're so strong and I'm here. Every step of the way, okay?"

She nods as another contraction hits. In the midst of this, the doctor slips in to check her chart.

"You ready to have a baby?" She says as she slips into her surgical gloves and takes her spot between Santana's legs.

"Okay, Santana, just a little longer and we're going to start pushing."

She nods not able to catch her breath to string together a sentence as another contraction hits, stronger than any other.

I hear the nurse say something to the doctor but by the looks on their faces, everything seems to be okay.

Half an hour later and it's go-time! She's finally fully dilated.

"Okay, Brittany, why don't you hold one of her legs when she starts to push," I nod mindlessly as I wrap my arm around her leg, making sure to keep my other arm close to my wife to support her through this next phase.

"Santana, on the next contraction, I want you to push. Okay?" She nods and takes a few breaths. "Okay, now."

Santana bares down with all she has and pushes. "Good, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, good. Okay, relax," the doctor says and Santana drops her head against the pillow trying to catch her breath.

"You're doing good, baby," I tell her.

"Ow, ow," she starts to say before leaning up against her elbows.

"Push, Santana, good, breathe!"

"Breathe, San."

"Good, eight, nine, ten, good and rest. You're doing so good, Santana. Few more good pushes and the head will be out."

"Ugh, Britt. I can't. It hurts so much," she says a single tear falling on her damp cheek.

"I know, San. But he's almost here, you've got this."

"Ready? Santana, push."

"Push, baby," I whisper to her keeping my hold on her leg hoping to give her my energy through another push.

"Santana, you're doing great. We're going to take a break through the next contraction and then I'm going to need a strong push, okay? We're almost there."

She struggles through the contraction and it makes me wonder if the drugs are even working anymore. Seeing her in so much pain breaks me and I wish I could switch places with her to take all her pain away.

"Push, Santana!" The doctor says as she starts to count her down. "Harder, I need a good push!" She encourages.

"You're so amazing, San. Bring our boy into the world," I whisper only loud enough for her to hear before counting down with the doctor.

"I see the head! Great, Santana. Two more pushes and your baby will be here,"

My eyes widen and I struggle between wanting to watch my son being born and wanting to be there for my wife. She must see my internal struggle, even with everything she's dealing with and nods.

I move further down to see what the commotion is and I never thought I would be the girl who would watch their child being born. I always figured it would be too gross to see the _situation_ down there but it's the complete opposite of that, it's a miracle.

"I see a full head of hair on your little guy, okay, push Santana." And Santana does just that with more conviction than before and as she does our sons head emerges from her and it is the most magical thing I have ever witnessed. "Good, okay ten-second break and then let's get the shoulders out. Almost done!"

"Babe! I see his head! Oh my god, he has so much hair, Santana," I say amazed beyond my wildest dreams.

"Last time, Santana! Push!" And I hear my wife yell like never before as she uses every last ounce of energy she has into this push, the last push to bring our son into the world. And then it happens, everything around me goes black and it's like tunnel vision on my son and my wife, my strong, amazing wife.

She falls back against the bed and I quickly move toward her. "Oh my god, Santana. He's here!" I say and right on queue, we hear the most magical cry of all time and tears are falling freely down both our faces. Even with the look of pure exhaustion, I have never found my wife more beautiful than I do at this very moment.

"Brittany, do you want to cut the cord?" The doctors' voice brings me back to reality. I quickly nod before steading my hands to cut the cord. They clean out his nose passage before laying him flat against my wife's bare chest, her arms curling protectively around our new bundle of joy.

"Oh my god, Britt," she says in awe. "He's perfect."

I wrap my arms around my wife and son, my little precious family and can't believe this is my life. "He is, just like his mommy. You were amazing, baby. So amazing, I'm so proud of you. Look what you made!"

"We made this, Britt," she says and I can't take it anymore so I lean in and take her swollen tired lips in mine and kiss her. "Hi, little guy. He really does have a lot of hair," she giggles touching his head with the most gentle stroke.

They finish cleaning Santana up as we continue to stare at our son, so content lying against my wife.

"Do we have a name for him?" The nurse asks.

"Yeah," she says and looks at me and I just smile.

"Lucas Brian Lopez-Pierce," I say.

"Happy Birthday, Lucas. You are so loved already," my wife whispers against his baby soft skin.

The nurses clean him off before bundling him in a snug blanket and placing a cute blue beanie on his little head. The first time I hold my son, my whole world stops, time freezes as I look down at the precious child. He looks so much like Santana already. I know all newborns look the same, all wrinkly and squishy but I can already see a strong resemblance to my wife. His eyes closed, he takes a big breath and I melt even more than I thought was imaginable.

"Hi, baby. I'm your momma." I know soon our parents and friends will be coming in to meet the new addition to our family but I take a moment to let this soak in, my little family of three, tucked away in our own little bubble.

I almost pinch myself making sure this is real life as I watch my son sleep in my arms. After months of tears and disappointment, here we are with a healthy baby boy and this is my reality. This is everything I ever dreamt of.


	9. Celebrations

**Celebrations**

_February 2029 - Brittany POV_

Weekends are my favorite part of the week. Two days where I can wake up without some kind of alarm blaring through our room, two days where I can curl up with my sleeping wife and know neither one of us have anywhere to be and two days where I get to hang out with the cute little human sleeping peacefully in his bed in the room next to ours. Yeah, weekends are my favorite.

With our son now sleeping through the night, I'm usually the first one to wake up. And today is no different. My eyes peel open only to be met with dark brown locks. I tilt my head to try and catch the time before closing the small distance between my wife's body and mine, slipping my arm around her waist pulling her closer so that she's flush against my front, curled perfectly in my arms leaning down to leave a soft kiss against her shoulder where a small patch of skin pokes through her luscious sprawled out hair. Yup, I love weekends.

We have about ten minutes before a little someone starts calling for one of us to get him from his room even though he has started to figure out a way to climb out of his crib. Rather than wait for that, I check the baby monitor and see that Lucas is already awake. I slip out of bed, careful not to wake the sleeping beauty next to me and lower the monitor volume before making my way across the hall to his room.

"Momma!" I hear and see my son jumping up and down in his crib hands holding on to the rails, his curly hair bouncing wildly. I know every parent must think this, but I swear this kid is the _cutest_ kid I've ever seen.

Just like I thought two years ago when I held him for the first time, he really is Santana's twin. His hair, although not as dark as my wife's, has a natural curl to it. He has her pouty lips and smooth tan skin that matches his almond shaped hazel eyes. Cutest kid ever.

"Morning, baby," I coo as I get closer his arms already stretched out for me to pick him up. I scoop him in my arms leaving kisses all over his baby soft skin taking in his fresh scent. He's always extra-cuddly in the morning and immediately curls into my body resting his head against my shoulder. "It's your birthday! How old did you turn?"

He lifts his head and gives me a toothy grin while holding two pudgy fingers up for me. Did I mention he also _definitely_ got Santana's smartness?

"That's right. Two! Let's get you some milk and then go see mommy."

"Mommy," he repeats and wiggles in my arms. I put him down and take his little hand in mine as we make our way down the hall and into the kitchen for our morning routine. Sippy cup in hand we slowly head toward our bedroom. I place him on the bed so he is lying between the two of us. He leans back in his cute footed pajamas and seems content to just lounge drinking milk. His eyes land on Santana and although he knows she sleeping and shouldn't wake her I watch him start to push the boundaries, first playing with the ends of her hair that's sprawled across the pillow and then slowly turning his body so one hand rests on her face. I can tell by her breathing that she's awake now and waits for what comes next. His milk forgotten he tilts more and leaves a sloppy kiss against her cheek.

"Mommy sleep?" He turns to me questioning why his method hasn't worked.

"Try again," I encourage him and shift closer to my favorite people in the world.

"Mommy!" He shouts and I can't contain the laugh that I'm trying so hard to hold inside.

"Want me to help you?" I ask when I see him start to pout. The last thing we need is a meltdown first thing in the morning. He nods his head so I grab his hand and guide it to her face and I know from the dimple that is threatening to poke out on her cheek that she is _very _much awake and trying not to laugh. I move his little fingers to try and tickle her nose when Santana grabs his hand and playfully starts to bite at his fingers.

"Oh no! Mommy is trying to eat you!"

"No, mommy, no!" He shouts through a string of uncontrollable giggles as Santana starts to tickle her way up and down his sides. "Hewp! Hewp!" He barely is able to breathe out.

"Okay, okay. I'll stop," she says snuggling him up into her arms as he settles in her embrace. "Happy birthday, baby boy," she kisses his cheek and I watch my family cuddled in bed, content smiles on both their faces.

Not able to take missing out on morning cuddles, I scoop them both up in my arms.

"Morning, baby," I greet my wife tilting my head enough to connect our lips. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling good."

"Good enough for breakfast maybe?"

"Yeah, I think I can do breakfast. What do you think, little man, want momma to make us some pancakes?"

"Pancakes!" He says cutely, starting to repeat everything we say, his little lisp the most adorable thing I've ever heard.

After our family breakfast, our parents arrive to help us set up for our son's dinosaur themed birthday party, per the little guy's request. Before we know it, our house is filled with kids running around, party in full swing. Santana went all out with this party, not that I mind since I was just as excited as she was, especially since he was old enough now to know what he likes.

I'm in the kitchen making sure the food that we catered is set up for our guests when a little someone comes barreling into my legs.

"Mine?" He asks holding up one of his _many _gifts. Another beautiful trait he got from my wife, impatience but then again I can't blame the kid. He's only two and it is his birthday and birthday equals gifts. I'm just happy that this year he might actually be interested in the gifts rather than the wrapping paper they came in.

"Yeah, baby, that's for you. But we have to wait to open it, okay?" I tell him and he gives me a look that tells me he didn't like my answer.

"Open now?" He asks trying to push the matter.

"No. Not now. Let's eat first then maybe you can open them."

"Lucas. Come!" Quinn's son comes running into the kitchen to find his best friend. Liam and Lucas are inseparable and being close in age and watching them play with each other is the cutest thing ever.

Thanks to Liam, Lucas completely forgets about the issue at hand, dropping the gift in its place and running off behind the other boy. I chuckle at their antics and turn back to the food.

"Need any help, Britt?" Sugar asks walking into the kitchen.

"You can get me a drink," I joke with her.

"Stressful having a kids party, isn't it?"

"You have no idea. There are kids everywhere! But they look like they're having fun."

"Yeah, they are. Can't wait for this one to be born and experience all of this chaos," she says rubbing her full belly. I smile at my best friend taking in her pregnancy glow.

"Babe, are we ready?" Santana pops in, her hair looking disheveled. I quirk an eyebrow at her questioning the reason for her appearance and she just rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, everything is set," I tell her.

"What happened to you?" Sugar asks. This girl just has no filter and being six months pregnant hasn't changed that one bit, in fact, it's made it worse.

"Kids, that's what happened. Our lovely son and his short friends decided to throw a ball in the house and guess who's head it hit? Yeah, mine. I'm gonna fix this situation," she says pointing to her head before disappearing down the hall.

Thankfully, everyone settles down a bit and our madhouse isn't as much of a madhouse while everyone eats. Santana hired someone to make balloon animals and this keeps the kid's attention for a while giving the adults some time to kick back.

Most of our guests leave after hours of fun, carrying their tired toddlers home, half of them asleep in one of their parent's arms. Puck, Sugar, and Quinn kick back with their significant others as we hang out on the couch finally able to relax. Liam, Lucas, and Bella are on the floor playing with his new toys, boxes and wrapping paper thrown everywhere and I know we're in for a long night to clean the mess around the house.

Santana curls into my arms leaning her head back. "How are you feeling?" I ask her in her hear so no one hears.

"Okay. Just tired," she says lazily with a smile. "But so worth it." And the look on Lucas' face says it. Worth it all.

"So, Jess, You and Puck planning on having some of these anytime soon?" Quinn asks from her spot as she nods over to the kids.

"Definitely, just trying to enjoy married life for a little before we bring one of those little monsters into the world," he jokes. Puck finally met someone that made him want to settle down. I'm happy to see my friend so in love. And, of course, Lucas made the most adorable ringer bearer.

"Mommy! Di'saur," Lucas shouts holding up his new dinosaur as if he can have any more.

"That's a cool one. Did you say thank you to Uncle Puck?"

"Tank you, Uncle Puck," he says shyly.

"No problem, dude."

"What about you guys. When is the next Lopez-Pierce gracing us?"

I shoot my wife a knowing smile, having a silent conversation with our eyes. What our friends don't know is that we already started insemination treatments and Santana is two months pregnant. Being in the first trimester, we've kept this very important news to ourselves. Of course, our parents know but other than that, it's our precious little secret.

"Maybe," my wife responds. "Right now we're just enjoying the one we have."

/

"Ugh, bed!"

"Mhm," I hum, my body molding into the soft sheets. "Luke is bathed and knocked out, the house is _kind of _clean, and considering the big day that kid had, I'm hoping he sleeps until at _least _nine," I sigh as Santana finds her spot in my arms nuzzling her nose against my neck.

"Can you believe we have a two-year-old?" I hear her hum from her spot, voice muffled.

"Crazy, huh? Terrible twos and another one on the way," I joke.

"Yeah, crazy. But I love it."

"I love it too. And I already love you so much," I say rubbing her flat stomach. "And you, sexy wife, I love even more."

"I love you too, and if you think you're gonna flirt your way into sex tonight, _my lovely wife,_ you are going to be sadly disappointed."

"I can't compliment my wife?" I chuckle, no intention of any sort of funny business tonight, not after the day we've had, not after the day she's had being pregnant and _especially _knowing the tiredness that kicks in during the first trimester.

"Of course you can, baby," she says finally lifting her head to pucker up those luscious lips I love so much. "Love you."

Drifting into sleep, a smile on my face, I think about my son's happiness as he opened gifts and ran around with his friends. It was a magical day and I can't wait for everything that's in store for us with our new miracle on its way.

/

_July 2029 - Santana POV_

"Lucas Brian Lopez-Pierce, I am _not _going to say it again. Stop jumping on the couch! Or else no more dinosaurs." This kid has been trying to jump from one couch to the other for the past half hour and my patience is wearing thin.

He quirks his eyebrow at me in a challenging fashion and I mirror his posture letting him know that I mean business. "My dinosaur," he finally spats clinging to one of his many toy dinosaurs.

"Yes, it's yours but mommy is going to take it away if you don't stop jumping. Okay?"

"But I flying!" He says and is about to get ready to jump again when strong arms scoop him up.

"Why do you insist on giving mommy a hard time, huh?" The blonde says as she grabs hold of his ankles hanging him upside down, tickling his stomach. I love seeing moments like this and lucky for me they happen all the time. My heart swells watching Brittany interact with our son.

The kid may look like me, my wife calling him my little twin but what is most incredible is how alike the two are in personality. At such a young age, he is our little daredevil, always wanting to try new things. My hands naturally start to rub against the swell of my belly, feeling our other baby kick under my touch and it makes my heart grow with love at the thought of having two little ones climbing on top of Brittany, both begging to sing Disney tunes around the house.

I'm only shaken out of my thoughts when those same strong arms that held Lucas seconds ago now wrap around my waist. My body molds into hers, well as best as it can with the size of my belly now at seven months pregnant. In her arms, everything in me calms. They've always had that effect on me but it seems that it has intensified with pregnancy.

"You sure you're going to be okay while I'm gone?" She says and reality comes crashing down when I look over and see her bags next to the front door. I've tried to play it cool for days, tried not to drag my feet leading up to her business trip but now that she is leaving it's getting harder to hide. I do my best to put a smile on and be the supporting wife she needs me to be especially since I know she is having a hard time leaving us, guilt eating away at her.

"Of course, baby. We'll be fine. Plus, my mom is here," I tell her and drag her to the couch, my lower back starting to ache from standing on my feet. "But, I'm gonna miss you. Lucas is gonna miss you and so is your little princess," I say and grab her hand moving it to the spot she insists on kicking repeatedly. Her kicks always get stronger with Brittany's voice, it's so cute to see the bond they've already created.

"If you need me to come back for anything, I will," she says and she's just so damn cute, I can't handle it. I lean in needing to feel her lips against mine.

"I know, Britt. Don't worry about us. You're only gone for three days. We got this," I say more confidently.

"Okay, just make sure you rest. Promise?"

"I promise."

After thanking my mom a million times for making the trip out to New York, kissing Lucas goodbye and unwillingly separating from me and our baby girl nestled inside my belly, Brittany finally gets herself to leave not wanting to miss her flight.

"Look who's all clean!" My mom says carrying a freshly bathed Lucas in her hands, sporting his duck covered footed pajamas Brittany bought him, his loose curls falling around his face. She hands him over and he immediately curls in my body. I take in his clean baby scent and hold him as close as I can, finally figuring out the best way to hold our first born while pregnant. When he leans his head against my chest, it shocks me how fast time has gone. It feels like yesterday Brittany and I were praying for him, tears and sadness taking over my life with every failed attempt. And then in the blink of an eye, he was born, and although it was one of the most difficult things I've ever experienced, I will never forget the moment he was placed in my arms.

"How are you feeling, honey?" My mom asks as I run my fingers through his soft hair, knowing this soothes him to sleep the best.

"Good. I feel a lot better than the first time around," I tell her honestly. It's crazy because, at seven months pregnant with Lucas, I felt like I was living outside my body, not able to recognize the person I was. This time around, I was determined to stay active, making things easier on my body. It didn't hurt that I had read somewhere that being active could help with labor and I was willing to try anything to get me through that process for the second time. "Thanks for coming, mom. I know it made Brittany feel a lot better knowing you were here with us."

"I'm just happy I can help. Plus, any excuse to spend time with my grandson is fine by me. Your dad wishes he could come. Are you planning on going to the studio tomorrow?"

"No, I've been working from home most days. It's just easier until the baby comes. Plus, Brittany isn't a fan of me going to the studio. She thinks I get carried away there and that being around that place stresses me out. I told her that was ridiculous but I lost _that _argument," I roll my eyes.

"She's right, you know. You've always worked so hard, sweetie. It's nice to see you relaxed especially since you're carrying my granddaughter."

"Whatever," I mumble.

"Momma," I hear Lucas say and sit up looking at me with a pout starting to form on his lips. He is used to his nighttime routine where one of us bathe him and then tuck him into bed while Brittany reads us a bedtime story. "Read the book?"

"Why don't we call momma, okay? Maybe she can read us something," I tell him kissing his cheek to calm him down. My mom immediately stands up to take him from my lap and I give her a thankful look as we make our way down the hall to his 'big boy' bed.

When we tried explaining to him that he is going to be a big brother he gave us a confused look, not quite understanding what was going on. And who can blame him, he was only two years old. But when my belly started to grow, he would poke at it and lift his shirt to compare it to his, not entirely sure of why I was getting bigger and bigger. When he first felt the baby kick his eyes widened in shock and confusion as he stared at his hand and poked back at the spot of the kick harder before looking up at me and saying 'baby?' That's when we knew he started to understand, well at least as much as a two-year-old could.

Brittany thought it would be a good idea to start treating him like the big boy that he was and even though I fought her in the beginning, not able to admit that he was growing up, we went out in search of the perfect bed for our growing baby. Ever since, he has been beaming, telling anyone that would listen that that's _his _baby in my stomach and that he is going to be a big brother.

Once he is tucked, his stuffed dinosaur in hand, I grab my phone and FaceTime Brittany.

"Hey, baby," she says her smile already growing at the sight of us in bed.

"Hi, sorry I hope we didn't interrupt anything. Lucas wanted you to read us our bedtime story. Right?"

"Yeah, momma! Read!" He says as enthusiastically as he can yawning immediately after.

"Okay, what should we read buddy?"

"Umm, wabbit one," he says and I giggle at his predictable answer. It's one of his favorites, requesting it at least three times a week.

"Okay, let's read the rabbit one."

Once he's sound asleep I make sure my mom has everything she needs before excusing myself for the night, hoping to talk to Brittany before exhaustion takes over.

Not even letting it ring once, my wife's face appears on my screen.

"Hi, babe."

"Hi," I breathe out just happy to hear her voice. Not having her next to me for the next few nights is going to suck.

"How was your day?"

"Good. But I don't think I'm eating for the next week. I swear my mom was pumping food into me faster than I could chew. Have you ever heard a pregnant woman say they're full? Well, it happened."

She giggles at my dramatics. "I'm glad she's there with you. Makes me feel better."

"I know, honey. How was your flight?"

"It was smooth. I know it's early but I feel like I can fall asleep right now."

"I bet. You had a long day and have an early morning."

"Mhm, let's talk for a little longer. I miss you."

"I miss you too," I say staring into her blue eyes when I feel a hard kick against my ribs. "Apparently so does your little princess. She just kicked me hard."

"Two more months. Can you believe it?"

"No. It's crazy. We're going to be a family of four!"

"I know. I can't wait. My perfect family."

"Perfect family," I tiredly mumble my eyes getting heavier by the second.

"You look tired. You should get some sleep."

"M'kay. Love you."

"Love you too, baby."

/

_September 2029 _

It's funny how different the birth of my children are. With Lucas, I was desperate to get him out, going past my due date and Brittany, my caring Brittany, flustered when I finally told her it was time. But this time it seems like we were both in cruise control. Sure, we made sure the nursery was prepared and had the hospital bag packed ready to go by the front door, but it was all so _normal _when I went into labor.

Brittany made sure that I was okay while she called Puck to get Lucas while we went to the hospital. The entire drive, I kept looking at Brittany, who looked so calm as she kept her fingers laced with mine, helping me breathe through each contraction. Once we got settled into our room, things start moving fast, way faster than with Lucas. So fast that the nurse doesn't even have time to prepare the epidural. Yup, this is happening and it's happening now.

I don't even have time to breathe when I vaguely hear Dr. Robinson tell me to push. It's like muscle memory, everything flooding back to me as I bare down and push with every ounce of energy I have, a contraction shooting through my body. I focus on Brittany's voice encouraging me to push, cheering me on counting to ten as I throw my body back against the pillows, sweat pooling on my forehead.

I feel like I've hardly had a chance to catch my breath before Dr. Robinson is once again instructing me to push. And so I do, again pushing with everything I have when I feel pressure, a pressure I remember so vividly.

"Her head is out! You're doing so good. One more push for the shoulders."

Hearing her head is out, I know this is the finish line. Brittany's hand in mine, I wait for the doctor to tell me when to push and then I'm pushing like never before and just when I think I can't take it anymore, a cry brings me back to reality. A warm tiny body is placed on my bare chest and the tears start to flow from my eyes.

Like her brother, she has a full head of hair her wrinkly body calming against mine. I feel Brittany's soft lips against my damp forehead as she whispers words of love into my ear her hand resting protectively against our daughters back.

After the nurses clean her off and bring her back wrapped up tightly, I feel my heart grow in size yet again when she is finally placed in her momma's arms, my wife staring down at our daughter. I lift my arm so she can sit next to me, not able to bear being apart from either one of them.

"Thank you, Santana," she says so simply.

"Thank _you_."

"I can't believe she's here. You're amazing. She's amazing. Lucas is amazing. I just-" her words catch in her throat. "You have given me everything I have ever wanted and I don't know if there are enough words to thank you. I love you."

"You've given me the world." And that's all I have to say because she knows, she knows that she _is_ my world, our children are my world and I love them with everything in me.

"Welcome to the craziness, Olivia Mari Lopez-Pierce."

**Hope you guys enjoyed the new chapter! Let me know what you think! :P**


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